A CITIZENS’ RESOURCE GUIDE TO

BENEFICIAL LANDSCAPING AND

HABITAT RESTORATION IN THE

CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED

Backyard Better

Backyard Better

Chesapeake Bay Program

CBP 219/99

EPA 903-B-99-002

November 2001

A Watershed Partnership
CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed

the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983. The Chesapeake Bay Program partners

include the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the District of Columbia; 

the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative body; the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), which represents the federal government; and participating

citizen advisory groups.

Since its inception, the Chesapeake Bay Program’s highest priority has been to restore 

the Bay’s living resources—its finfish, shellfish, Bay grasses and other aquatic life and

wildlife. In 2000 the Chesapeake Bay Program and its signatory partners signed the

Chesapeake 2000 agreement, in which Bay Program partners committed to achieve and

maintain water quality conditions necessary to support all of the plants and animals that

live in the Bay’s complex ecosystem. The Chesapeake Executive Council—comprised of

the governors of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia; the mayor of Washington, D.C.;

the EPA administrator; and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission—continues to

guide the restoration with directives and policies that address habitat restoration, toxic

pollution prevention and point source and agricultural nonpoint source nutrient pollution

reductions. Bay Program initiatives encourage the watershed’s 1,650 local governments to

address land use management, growth and development, stream corridor protection and

infrastructure improvements.

Nutrient pollution reductions are achieved through voluntary agricultural management

practices, urban nutrient management strategies and nitrogen-reducing technologies for

wastewater treatment plants. Habitat restoration efforts focus on reestablishing Bay

grasses, protecting and planting riparian forest buffers, opening fish passages, creating 

and restoring aquatic reefs and the Baywide management of fish stocks. Toxic contaminants are declining in many parts of the Bay since regional action plans have been

established and a voluntary industrial pollution prevention program was implemented.

Other improvements include fisheries and habitat restoration, recovery of Bay grasses,

nutrient and toxics reductions and significant advances in estuarine science.

Printed with Vegetable Oil-Based Inks on Recycled Paper (30% Postconsumer) by the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the Chesapeake Bay Program
BETTERBACKYARD

A Citizens’ Resource Guide 

to Beneficial Landscaping and Habitat Restoration 

in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

November 2001

Printed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

for the Chesapeake Bay Program
WHERE WE LIVE: THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATERSHED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

BEFORE YOU BEGIN: IMPORTANT CONCEPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Beneficial, Native and Nonnative Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Wildlife Habitat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Riparian Forest Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Xeriscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BayScaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

BEFORE YOU START: EVALUATE YOUR LAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 1: Take a Look . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 2: Evaluate Growing Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 3: What are Your Goals? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Step 4: Map Your Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 5: Choose Your Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 6: Plant with Loving Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 7: Be Patient . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Step 8: Spread the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

CHAPTER ONE—Water Water Everywhere! Controlling Runoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Begin Here: Look for Erosion in Your Yard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Soil-Saving Techniques for Homeowners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Cover Bare Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Cover Crops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Permeable Walkways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Direct Water Away from Homes and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Wetlands and Open Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Rain Gardens and Bioretention Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Raised Beds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Riparian Forested Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The Best BMP is Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

iii

CONTENTS
CHAPTER TWO—Less to Mow: Alternatives to the Traditional Lawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Making Your Lawn Low Maintenance and Low Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Test Your Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Choose the Proper Variety of Grass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Establish a Healthy Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Fertilize (If You Really Must) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Incorporate Fertilizer into Soil Prior to Seeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Mow Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

“Grasscycle” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Tend That Lawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Landscaping for Wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Plant the Essentials: Food, Water, and Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Birds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Nectar-eaters: Butterflies and Hummingbirds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Bring on the Bats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Good Bugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Water Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

On the Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Living Fences: Hedgerows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Unwanted Visitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

CHAPTER THREE—Protecting Critical Habitats: Wetlands, Forests, and Streams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Wetlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Forested Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Streams and Riparian Forest Buffers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Fish Passages: Opening Barriers for Migrating Fish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

The Undesirables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

City Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Before You Plant! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Where to Get Help? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

CHAPTER FOUR—Waterfront Property: Guarding the Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The Culprit: Shoreline Erosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Before You Bulk Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Parking the Yacht: Docks, Piers and Other Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Underwater Bay Grass in Your Propeller? Great! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Aquatic Reefs: Nature’s Water Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

CHAPTER FIVE—Beyond the Driveway: Getting Involved in Community Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Community Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Schools and Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Community Parks and Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Volunteer, Volunteer! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Citizen Monitoring Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

And Everything Else! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

iv CONTENTS
The Chesapeake Bay is our country’s largest and most productive

estuary. It is nearly 200 miles long, fed by 48 major rivers, 

100 smaller rivers, and thousands of tiny streams and creeks in 

its 64,000 square mile watershed. This watershed covers all or parts of 

six states—Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, and 

West Virginia—and the District of Columbia. It is home to 3,600 species 

of plants and animals, ranging from the lowly benthic worms living in the

mud, to the majestic bald eagle. It is also home to 15.1 million people, with

another 2.8 million expected by the year 2020. We have come to understand

that people are the major cause of the Bay’s problems, and that the challenges

facing the Chesapeake Bay begin at home—in our own backyards—as well as

in farm fields, cities and suburbs, and on our highways. Why? Because the

Bay is part of a vast interconnected ecosystem. Everything we do on land—

where we live, how far and how often we drive our cars, and the consumer

choices we make—affect the Bay and the plants and animals that live there. 

Special landscapes are disappearing from the Chesapeake Bay watershed,

and loss of habitat is the main cause for loss of wildlife. Between 1982 and

1989, watershed wetland losses averaged about 3,000 acres a year. Despite

regulatory protection, these losses and degradation continue as development

pressure increases. Approximately one-third of historical forest coverage has

been lost. Between 1985 and 1995 Bay watershed forests were cleared at a

rate of over 100 acres every day. The health of many streams is declining,

their waters transporting large quantities of sediment and pollution downstream and, eventually, into Chesapeake Bay.

Thirteen species of underwater Bay grasses once covered up to 600,000

acres of the Bay. The existing 69,000 acres fall far short of historical levels.

Eastern oysters once lived on underwater shell reefs that rose to near the

surface from the bottom of the Bay. Millions of oysters filtered plankton 

from the water, completely siphoning the Bay in under a week during summer. The human taste for tender oysters has significantly contributed to

declining populations. Today, the Bay’s oyster population has been reduced 

to a small percentage of historic levels, and it takes them one year instead of

one week to filter the Bay. Destruction of aquatic reefs from centuries of

dredging and tonging has greatly reduced suitable habitat for oysters and 

the other creatures that live on and around their reefs. In addition to harvest

pressure and disease, reef acreage has been lost to the sediments and pollution

that run off the land.

1

WHERE WE LIVE

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed
With so many people living in the Bay watershed, nonpoint source

pollution has become a problem for living resources in the Bay ecosystem.

Nonpoint source pollution includes runoff from streets, farms and construction sites and our own yards. Contaminants from every community

—sediments, sewage, manure, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and motor

oil—can be carried into the Bay from local streams and waterways.

In 2000 the Chesapeake Bay Program and its signatory partners signed

the Chesapeake 2000 agreement, in which, among other things, the partners

committed to achieve and maintain water quality conditions necessary to

support living resources such as finfish, oysters, crabs, underwater grasses 

and waterfowl throughout the Bay ecosystem. By recognizing the inherent

connections among the Bay watershed’s vital habitats—its open waters,

underwater grasses, marshes, wetlands, streams and forests—and by 

engaging in the landscaping and wise conservation activities proposed in 

Better Backyard, you can make an important difference and help preserve 

the Bay’s plants and animals.

Here’s how you can help. Reducing chemical use in the home landscape

reduces toxins and nutrients reaching local creeks and, ultimately, the Bay.

Managing erosion in your yard will help cut down on the amount of pollutants that reach nearby waterways. Special features can be used to divert

water from your house, eliminating homeowner problems like flooding and

wet basements. Creating rain gardens, raised beds, and permeable walkways

are just some of the ways you can protect the Bay while protecting your

property.

Wetlands and streamside forested buffers can also reduce runoff while

adding diversity and beauty to your landscape. Trees act as natural air filters

by trapping particulates and smog-related chemicals, removing carbon dioxide

and producing oxygen. They can even help lower the costs of heating and

cooling your home, when planted strategically around your yard. Degraded

streams can be restored to provide an aesthetic focal point for your property

while serving important habitat functions for fish, birds, and other animals.

Natural areas like these can provide havens for local wildlife and solve problems of concern to property owners, like streambank and shoreline erosion.

What you do with your property can make a big difference for Chesapeake Bay, but it doesn’t end there. Get involved and spread the word! Many

organizations need volunteers for monitoring and restoration activities. The

more people know about the Chesapeake Bay and what they can do to help,

the better. There is strength in numbers.

Because our actions are so closely linked to the health of the Chesapeake

Bay, stewardship of the land and water by ordinary citizens is our most effective tool for the Bay’s restoration. There is much that we can do to help the

Bay regain its historical elegance. What better place to begin than your own

backyard? 

2 WHERE WE LIVE
Congratulations on taking the first step toward a Better Backyard!

Before you begin, there are some concepts that you should be familiar

with. These concepts form the foundation for beneficial landscaping

and will help you understand why your Better Backyard will be Better for 

the Bay!

BENEFICIAL, NATIVE AND NONNATIVE PLANTS

Beneficial plants are plants that require minimal maintenance—such as trimming, watering, and fertilizer or pesticide applications—because they are welladapted to local climate and soil types. Native plants are always “beneficial

plants,” but not all plants considered beneficial are native. Although even

botanical experts disagree on a formal definition of a native plant, for the purpose of this guide and the beneficial landscaping principles, we will define it

as a tree, plant, shrub, vine or ground cover that would have been present in a

particular area before modern humans altered the landscape.

When choosing native plants, select those that are indigenous to your

locality, state or region of your state (for example, coastal plains or piedmont).

In the Bay region, the primary habitats where native plants can be found include ancient forests, second-growth forests, wetlands, freshwater hardwood

swamps, dunes, open meadows and mountain slopes. Native plants are wellsuited to the landscape and climate, so they often require less maintenance—

in the form of fertilizers, pesticides and watering. Consequently, fewer nutrients and chemicals are carried into Chesapeake Bay through runoff from our

yards. Because they have been historically present in the Bay watershed, many

local birds, mammals and other wildlife have come to depend upon native

plants for food, breeding and nesting sites.

Nonnative plants may be invasive. Even plants native to other states can

be invasive when planted out of their native range. Invasive plants displace

naturally occurring vegetation and, in the process, upset nature’s balance and

diversity. They generally grow rapidly, taking over other native species. They

are often pioneer species, quickly taking hold in disturbed areas. Invasive

nonnatives may be very costly to control, and may severely limit the habitat

value of the area for local wildlife. By planting native and beneficial plants at

home, we can make a meaningful contribution to the restoration of local

waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. 

3

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Important Concepts
WILDLIFE HABITAT

Forests, wetlands and other natural areas are rapidly giving way to development and people in the Bay watershed. Whether converted to businesses,

shopping malls or houses, the results remain the same: natural habitat is destroyed and plant and animals species diversity is lost.

Habitat refers to the food, water, cover and nesting sites all living

creatures need to survive. Like humans, each animal has habitat preferences.

You can help restore wildlife habitat in your own backyard. Even a small yard

can be landscaped to attract birds, butterflies, beneficial insects and small 

animals. The plants you use for food and cover will help determine which

wildlife species will be attracted to your property. Adjoining backyards can be

landscaped to form greenways, safe havens in which animals can live and

move. And by using a variety of native plants, you can often attract a wider

range of wildlife. Natural wildlife corridors are especially important where

large expanses of similar vegetation—such as a row of lawns in a subdivision—leave animals vulnerable to predators, or where exotic, invasive

plants like kudzu have upset the balance of native vegetation.

RIPARIAN FOREST BUFFERS

A riparian forest buffer is an area of trees, usually accompanied by shrubs and

other vegetation, that lies next to a stream or other body of water. The roots

of trees and shrubs can help stabilize stream channels and shorelines. Vegetation also reduces pollution by trapping and filtering sediments, nutrients and

other chemicals, keeping them from running off into local waterways. Additionally, riparian forest buffers supply food, cover, and shade for fish and

other wildlife in the area.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM)

IPM, as the name implies, is the integration of biological, cultural and chemical pest management methods into a comprehensive program of pest control

for the home landscape. For the homeowner confronted with a multitude of

pests throughout the year, an effective IPM program offers a wide variety of

environmentally safe choices to manage pests. Approaches include plant selection to repel unwanted bugs and encourage good bugs, use of beneficial insects like lady bugs and praying mantids to reduce pest populations, or spot

treatment with “safer” insecticides like insecticidal soaps. In the Bay region,

IPM minimizes impacts on beneficial insects, wildlife and the waters of the

Chesapeake Bay.

IPM encourages the use of alternatives to harmful or toxic chemicals as a

means of controlling pests. Many natural and biological controls exist in the

landscape to ward off insects, disease and other pests. Although IPM does not

totally eliminate chemical pesticides as a control measure, it can help reduce

the volume of pesticides used on the land.

4 BEFORE YOU BEGIN
XERISCAPING—LANDSCAPING FOR WATER CONSERVATION

The word xeriscape comes from the Greek word xeros, meaning dry.

Xeriscaping, literally means “dry landscaping”, but is generally used to 

refer to landscaping that maximizes the efficient use of water in gardens 

and landscapes. 

Water-wise landscaping includes evaluating how much water the lawn

and landscape really need; learning how and when to apply water; understanding that plants thrive with well-developed, deep root systems; and using

plants with lower water requirements and minimizing water waste in the garden. In some households, as much as 40 percent of the water used each

month finds its way into the landscape, so future freshwater supplies depend

upon wise outdoor water use. 

You can reduce the amount of water used to maintain your lawn and garden with little significant expense or serious effort. For the most part, reducing

water use means changing the way you have watered in the past. Key elements

include: timing, thoroughness, proper equipment, mulching, plant selection

and water zoning. Together, they can cut your normal water use by as much as

two-thirds during summer months. 

BAYSCAPING

Taken together, the concepts described above constitute “BayScaping.”

BayScaping is an environmentally sound way of managing lawns, gardens and

other natural landscapes. By creating habitats that most closely resemble the

historical, natural areas of the Chesapeake watershed, it is possible to reduce

chemical and fertilizer use, improve habitat for local wildlife and create

natural buffers that help protect the Bay from the impacts of pollution.

IMPORTANT CONCEPTS 5
Resources for the first edition of A Better Backyard were gathered over a

year, starting in the summer of 1997. Although we don’t claim to be

all-inclusive, we have done our best to scour the Chesapeake Bay

watershed for information that will help you create beautiful, environmentally

friendly landscapes. We looked for resources through the Internet, in libraries

and through our many contacts within the Chesapeake Bay Program. More

than 200 surveys were sent to government agencies and nonprofit organizations, asking for resources and leads. This document is a compilation of that

year’s research and our 2001 revision. If you find errors with contact information, please notify us so we can incorporate changes into future documents.

A Better Backyard is organized into chapters that go from your yard to the

water’s edge. Using the last chapter, we hope you will take this information

beyond your backyard and into your community. This is a “resource document.” We provide general information on environmentally friendly landscaping. For more technical and specific information, you will need to explore

the many resources mentioned in the text and listed in the back in Resources

and Contacts. Because landscapes and ecology differ dramatically from the

watershed’s mountains to the Bay’s shorelines, we don’t make plant recommendations. Numerous sources for plant lists are provided in the resources

section. It is well worth your time to study the lists that are appropriate for

your region and to talk with local nurseries and greenhouses. Many nursery

growers know much about native plants and are just waiting for people like

you to create a demand for natives. 

We formatted the text to make it easy to find resources. Contacts are

underlined in the text and the Resources section. Programs and documents are

italicized. Full contact information is in Resources and Contacts at the end.

Contacts are organized by federal agencies and programs, state and local government agencies and programs, government agencies outside the Chesapeake

Bay watershed, nonprofit and private organizations, plant lists, and other

resources. Many contacts provide Internet webpages and addresses. We take 

you to the front page of websites, so you may have to search the website for a

particular document or program. We chose to provide front page website

addresses because we found many addresses within websites changed during

our year of research. If you can’t find the document or program that we

mention, please contact the webmaster of the site. They should be able to

help you. Watch the Chesapeake Bay Program website for A Better Backyard

online. It will be linked with the many websites listed here.

6

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
7

Here are a few steps you may want to consider before you start to dig.

Read the chapters of A Better Backyard for guidance, then explore

the resources for details. This homework can help prevent disasters,

save work and money, and give you the yard of your dreams. Take your time.

Your plans can extend over several years. Gardening is a great experiment that

can last a lifetime. Enjoy it.

STEP 1: TAKE A LOOK

Walk your property and look carefully at its features. Note size, shape, borders

(and what’s next to them), and contour. Do you have special habitats like

wetlands, forests, or streams? If so, take a look at Chapter Three, Protecting

Critical Habitats. Do you have special problems like slopes, erosion or lack 

of sunlight? For erosion problems, check Chapter One, Water, Water Everywhere! or Chapter Four, Guarding the Edge.

STEP 2: EVALUATE GROWING CONDITIONS

Test your soil. Is it well drained or poorly drained? What is its texture? Find

out more about soil testing in Chapter One, Water, Water, Everywhere! Note

your local ecology. Do you live in the mountains, on the Bay, along a stream?

Waterfront residents will be interested in Chapter Four, Guarding the Edge.

Those of you lucky enough to have natural streams on your property should

be sure to read Chapter Three, Protecting Critical Habitats. Are natural areas

in the region composed of deciduous forests, conifers or grasses? How much

sun do you get and at what angle and time of day does it hit the ground?

How much rain does your area receive during the growing season?

STEP 3: WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?

Determine what you want from your landscaping. Privacy? If so, consider

forested areas and read about options in Chapter Three, Protecting Critical

Habitats. Wildlife enhancement? Skip to chapters two, three or four, depending on the natural features of your yard. Ease of maintenance? Stormwater

runoff control? Be sure to review Chapter One, “Water, Water Everywhere!”.

Write down those goals and incorporate them into your landscaping ideas.

BEFORE YOU START

Evaluate Your Yard
STEP 4: MAP YOUR YARD

Draw a map of your yard, to scale if possible. See “BayScaping for the LongTerm”, a fact sheet included in the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Fish

and Wildlife Services’s BayScaping package, for more planning guidance. Decide where you would like gardens, trees and open areas. Consider local laws

and be considerate of neighbors. Remember that plants grow, so you need to

leave space for growth and the shade that trees will eventually produce.

STEP 5: CHOOSE YOUR PLANTS

Check the plant lists noted in our resources section. Talk to local growers.

Visit parks, botanical gardens, arboretums and greenhouses in your area. For

the best results, choose plants suited for your region, soil type, rainfall and

sunlight.

STEP 6: PLANT WITH LOVING CARE

Follow planting instructions from your nursery or greenhouse or other resources. Plant only during spring or fall. Be prepared to water plants during

that first year, if it’s a dry one. Fertilize only when necessary.

STEP 7: BE PATIENT

Plants take time to grow. Be patient. Enjoy the pace set by Mother Nature.

STEP 8: SPREAD THE WORD

Don’t keep your new-found knowledge to yourself. Take a look at Chapter

Five, “Beyond the Driveway,” for tips on how to help spread the word. Talk

to your neighbors, community, schools and governments about environmentally friendly landscaping.

8 BEFORE YOU START
Water has a way of taking things with it—especially your topsoil. Your

soil is as important as water and sunshine for growing healthy lawns

and gardens. Soil erosion is a huge threat to your yard’s stability

and beauty; it’s also a major polluter of our waterways and the Bay. Cloudy

water isn’t the only consequence. When sediments settle to the bottom they

can cover important fish habitat, underwater Bay grasses and oyster beds.

Sediment is not the only thing washing off the land. Nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers, and harmful chemicals from pesticides and household

products, run into storm drains when it rains. They eventually end up in the

Chesapeake Bay. When water rushes off the land, carrying soil and pollutants

with it, this is called “runoff.” Runoff can significantly affect life in the water

and in the Bay.

Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that fuel algal growth. Excessive

algal growth, along with sediments, clouds the water and prevents the growth

of underwater Bay grasses. In addition, when the algae die they decay. Decaying plants use up the oxygen that fish need to survive. Warm water holds less

oxygen than cold water. So in summer, when the water is warm and algae

abundant, oxygen levels in the water may drop so low that fish can’t live.

Chemical contaminants have a different effect. If concentrations are very

high, toxic chemicals can kill fish and wildlife, as well as insects. Most of the

time, however, concentrations are low enough that animals don’t die. Instead,

they may accumulate toxic substances in their bodies over long periods of

time. These accumulations can affect fish and wildlife health and reproduction. For example, during the 1960s the pesticide DDT started accumulating

in fish-eating birds like ospreys and eagles. High DDT levels in their tissues

resulted in thin eggshells. Parents broke eggs when they sat on them, causing

dramatic population declines in these majestic birds. A ban on DDT since

1972 has slowly resulted in population recovery. Humans, too, can accumulate toxic chemicals if they eat contaminated fish, so be sure to heed any fish

consumption advisories in your area.

Although careful use of fertilizers and chemicals is essential to keeping

these pollutants out of waterways, preventing water from rapidly running off

the land and into local waterways is crucial. Impervious surfaces that won’t

allow water to seep through, like pavement and buildings, are a significant

9

WATER,WATER EVERYWHERE!

Controlling Runoff

1

CHAPTER

DITCH THE DISPOSAL!

While garbage disposals are convenient, they add loads of excess nutrients

into wastewater flows. Try composting! Composting makes use of bacteria

to break down leaves, grasses, and

vegetable food waste, speeding up the

natural process of decomposition. It’s

a great way to recycle organic materials and nutrients back into your where

your garden plants can use them.

You’ll reduce household waste and

improve the health of your soil.

Maryland Cooperative Extension

Service Leaflet #245 explains all you

need to know about home composting.

You can find information in virtually

every gardening book and there are

tons of great web-sites with “how-to”

instructions.

Check out:

The Humusphere Website, 

www.composter.com

Backyard Magic: The Composting

Handbook, www.gnb.ca/ 

elg-egl/0372]0003/0001-e.html

Texas Natural Resource Conservation

Commission, www.tnrcc.state.

tx.us/admin/topdoc/gi/036.html

Home Composting, www.

stopwaste.org/fscompost.html
cause of rapid runoff in urban and suburban areas. You can help slow runoff

by reducing impervious surface cover in your yard. Best management practices (BMPs), such as proper drainage, water retention areas, buffers of grass,

shrubs and trees, and raised beds can help prevent pollution and direct water

to areas where it can safely filter through the soil. Additionally, these measures

may prevent homeowner headaches like excess water finding its way into your

basement.

BEGIN HERE: LOOK FOR EROSION IN YOUR YARD

Your first step to managing stormwater is to check your property for signs 

of erosion. Soils that are vulnerable to erosion are often on slopes, exposed 

to wind, or in the path where water tends to flow when it rains. Steep slopes

and areas that lack vegetation are especially susceptible. The Maryland

Cooperative Extension Service provides several factsheets on preventing

erosion. To spot signs of erosion in your yard or community, check for:

• Exposed tree roots, stones and rocks

• Small gullies

• Build-up of silt and soil in low-lying areas

• Soil splashed on walls or walkways

• Widening and deepening of stream channels and drainage ditches

SOIL-SAVING TECHNIQUES FOR HOMEOWNERS

There are three basics to stopping and preventing erosion: (1) cover bare soil; 

(2) redirect runoff water across vegetated areas; and (3) plant trees, shrubs and

ground covers best suited for your soil and region. County Cooperative Extension Services and federal Natural Resources Conservation Service offices in

each state can provide you with tips for preventing erosion and excess runoff.

Details are also provided in the Center for Watershed Protection’s document

Erosion and Sediment Control and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s

Controlling Nonpoint Source Water Pollution: A Citizens Handbook. 

Construction projects substantially contribute to sediments in our waterways. Clearing and Grading Strategies for Urban Watersheds, prepared by the

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) for the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, describes how to prevent erosion during

construction. Contact MWCOG for ordering information. 

Cover Bare Soil

Soil exposed by construction or landscaping projects should be replanted immediately and covered with grass clippings, straw or other coverings until the

new vegetation is established. Mulch will protect unplanted areas around

newly planted trees, shrubs and flowers. 

10 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!
CONTROLLING RUNOFF 11

BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR 

If you plan to substantially alter your

land close to a property line, inform

your neighbor as a courtesy before 

you begin work.

Cover Crops

Cover crops aren’t just for farmers. Planting a cover crop during winter on

your vegetable garden will prevent erosion. Grasses, clover or grains can be

planted in fall, will grow throughout winter, and should be tilled into the

garden in spring. 

Permeable Walkways

High traffic areas are especially vulnerable to erosion. Construction techniques and materials that allow water to filter through the soil are called permeable. Permeable materials, such as vegetation, wood chips or gravel, will

protect soil, allow rain to penetrate into the grounds, and prevent muddy

shoes. Consider creating walkways, driveways and patios that are permeable.

Special materials can be used to create environmentally friendly permeable

parking lots. Large stones surrounded by gravel or ground-creeping vegetation, wooden decks, even brick with sand between the bricks allow more

water penetration than blacktop or cement. Check with your local home

improvement center for information on specific permeable material 

product lines.

Direct Water Away from Homes and Development

Unless you have landscaped your property to accommodate excess water, most

of it will leave your yard as runoff into public drainage systems or nearby

streams. Uncontrolled runoff can create gullies and deepened channels in

your yard. Runoff carries sediments and pollutants into your local streams,

eventually delivering them to Chesapeake Bay. The key to controlling runoff

is to encourage water to move away from your house slowly, through vegetation in your yard and into the public drainage system or stream. During dry

summer months, you may want to encourage some water to stay near your

thirsty grass and gardens.

Water leaves your property in three ways: infiltration (filtering through

the soil), runoff across land and evaporation. Infiltration recharges your

groundwater and the water can be used by plants as it trickles through the

soil. You want to encourage infiltration by planting vegetation and maintaining good soil texture. Improve soil texture by adding organic material, such as

peat or compost. Clay soils may require a little extra sand. Plants also promote infiltration when water trickles along root channels in the soil and a significant amount of water is lost through their leaves as evaporation.

Wetlands and Open Space

Wetland areas that are used for runoff retention and detention should be part

of every stormwater management program. Wildlife is an added bonus that

comes with well-designed areas. The National Institute for Urban Wildlife

reports that the majority of homeowners say they enjoy the birds and wildlife

associated with stormwater control basins. Their Urban Wetlands for Stormwater Control and Wildlife Enhancement provides a brief technical overview

concerning the wildlife benefits that go with utilizing wetlands for urban

runoff control. (For more information on wetland benefits, protection and

restoration see Chapter Three, Protecting Critical Habitats). Natural areas of
almost any type become valuable for stormwater management, especially in

urban and suburban areas. J. Toby Tourbrier, a Philadelphia planning consultant, provides details and diagrams for using open space in a holistic approach

to stormwater management. Check the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

article entitled “Open Space through Stormwater Management: Helping to

Structure Growth on the Urban Fringe” (J. Soil and Water Cons., Vol. 49,

#1, Jan/Feb 1994, pp. 14-21), which recommends designing development

around stormwater management rather than squeezing stormwater management into the development plan. Many of the questions and concerns that

local organizations and landowners face when they tackle runoff control,

vegetation buffers and wetland protection are addressed in Local Ordinances:

A Users’s Guide, available from the Terrene Institute.

Rain Gardens and Bioretention Areas

Rain gardens and bioretention areas are techniques used in many newer developments, but they can work under some circumstances in older communities,

especially where yards are large. Rain gardens are low-lying areas, away from

homes, where water can safely accumulate during heavy rain. Many homeowners have low spots in their yard already. Rain gardens placed among several yards or on community properties can provide benefits to the entire

community. Bioretention areas are larger, usually require earth-moving and

permits to create, and should be considered before development begins and

while developing local stormwater management plans. These areas slow down

water flowing into drainage systems and streams, and help prevent flooding in

those flood-prone areas of the community. Rain gardens and bioretention

areas are vegetated. Although rain gardens often have only grass, shrubs and

trees or layered natural areas do a better job. Bioretention areas should be allowed to grow naturally and should contain native vegetation. In addition to

runoff control, the plants in rain gardens and bioretention areas help suck up

water, increasing infiltration and evaporation. Remember to put only watertolerant varieties in water-prone areas. Some plant lists indicate whether the

plants can tolerate periodic flooding. (Available plant lists are included in Resources and Contacts).

You can learn more about bioretention areas (and gain tips for smaller

rain gardens) from Design Manual for Use of Bioretention in Stormwater

Management, a publication prepared for the Prince George’s County, Maryland Department of Environmental Resources, and available at cost from

Biohabitats, Inc. The Center for Watershed Protection addresses bioretention

and other infiltration techniques in The Economics of Urban BMPs in the 

Mid-Atlantic Region. 

Raised Beds

You can keep water away from your house using raised flower or shrub beds

beside the house. The edges of the beds should direct water onto grassy or

natural low-lying areas away from your house. During a heavy or long rain,

water is diverted to a vegetated area that can accommodate the runoff, such as

a rain garden. From there water will either evaporate, infiltrate, or run off

into your public drainage system or local stream. Grass or other vegetation

will help filter out pollutants and sediments, before it hits the drainage system

or nearby waterway. 

12 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!
CONTROLLING RUN0FF 13

Riparian Forested Buffers

In the best of worlds, water would flow away from your house and through

the forested buffers that edge all local streams. Even a small forested portion

of your yard will help control runoff. Numerous publications are available on

establishing streamside forest buffers. (Many of these, along with the benefits

and techniques for forests and streamside buffers are discussed in Chapter

Three, Protecting Critical Habitats.) For easy-to-read summaries on forest

buffers, erosion, rain gardens, wetlands, cover crops and more, contact the

Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District for You and Your

Land: a Homeowner’s Guide for the Potomac River Watershed. Its easy-to-follow

diagrams and recommendations are pertinent to the entire watershed.

THE BEST BMP IS PLANNING

Ideally, stormwater runoff and land use planning should be managed regionally, in cooperation with local governments. The Virginia Department of

Conservation and Recreation, Division of Soil and Water Conservation hits at

the heart of the issue in their brochure: The Best Urban BMP is Planning.

This brochure summarizes the steps needed for effective land use planning

and how stormwater management programs work. Developing Successful

Runoff Control Programs for Urbanized Areas is a comprehensive manual describing the strategies local communities can use to implement runoff control

programs. This publication is available from the Northern Virginia Soil and

Water Conservation District. Support for land use strategies such as cluster

development, preservation of open space and sensitive areas, and natural

stormwater runoff control will help communities manage stormwater while

maximizing habitat benefits for local wildlife. See Providing Wetlands for

Wildlife While Controlling Stormwater, Circular #384, a brochure offered by

the Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension Service. Additional details are included in Beyond Sprawl: Land Management Techniques to Protect the Chesapeake Bay, available from the Chesapeake Bay Program. Complete details for

managing stormwater runoff are beyond the scope of this document. You 

can receive full information on regulations and guidelines from your state

government. In Pennsylvania, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Watershed Conservation, for Stormwater

Management Guidelines and Model Ordinances. More information can be

obtained on their website. (See Resources and Contacts for the web address).

In Virginia contact the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation,

Division of Soil and Water Conservation for Virginia Erosion and Sediment

Control Law, Regulations and Certification Regulations. In Maryland contact

the Maryland Department of the Environment. District of Columbia

stormwater management regulations can be obtained through the District of

Columbia Environmental Health Administration’s Soil Quality Division.

Planning should be comprehensive, with stormwater management as just

one component. It should include zoning for particular uses, wastewater treatment, support for transportation and other infrastructure, and preservation of

open space and sensitive areas such as wetlands and forests. You can help by

learning about alternative and innovative planning and protection strategies

and by participating in your local government. The Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Government Toolkit Series provides strategies and financial and
technical assistance programs that local governments and communities can

use to protect their natural resources and maintain livable communities.

Documents include Protecting Wetlands: Tools for Local Governments in the

Chesapeake Bay Region, Protecting Wetlands II: Technical and Financial Assistance Programs for Local Governments in the Chesapeake Bay Region, Beyond

Sprawl: Land Management Techniques to Protect the Chesapeake Bay and the

Local Government Pollution Prevention Toolkit. Also check with the Center for

Chesapeake Communities or the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Local Government Advisory Committee for additional information on what local governments can do to protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Contact the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Soil and Water Conservation for Clean Water...A Community Commitment to Protecting Virginia’s Watersheds. This brochure contains common sense

watershed protection tips for homeowners, developers, farmers, local officials,

boaters and businesses. The Citizens Water Quality Handbook, produced by

the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, is also a great

source of information on ways citizens can protect water quality. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Watershed Conservation produces Local Solutions to Pennsylvania’s Pollution: Pennsylvania’s

Nonpoint Source Management Program. Maryland Office of Planning developed Managing Maryland’s Growth: Smart Growth Options for Maryland’s

Tributary Strategies, which provides guidelines for managing development at

the local level. Although they are outside the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the

tips provided by Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service factsheet Cleaning

up Stormwater Runoff are relevant to all. Urban Runoff and Stormwater Management Handbook and A Watershed Approach to Urban Runoff: Handbook for

Decisionmakers are produced by the Terrene Institute, in cooperation with

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5. Order documents from the

Terrene Institute. The Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. publishes numerous documents, newsletters and a journal on innovative planning strategies and techniques, including Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection. The

Chesapeake Bay Foundation produces a practical guide for creating communities that are more livable and better for the environment. A Better Way to

Grow contains diagrams and photos showing stormwater management, innovative development patterns, and sensible transportation designs. The Alliance

for the Chesapeake Bay offers several publications on runoff, stormwater

management and pollution control. Ask for Nonpoint Source Pollution Publications and Projects. 

14 WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE!

VACATIONING IN MARYLAND? 

Taking a trip through the state of

Maryland? At toll booths, make sure

kids ask for their copy of the Maryland

Bay Game to make your trip fun and

educational!
Less yard work? Sounds too good to be true? It is true. There are many

ways to reduce the amount of time and attention your yard requires

and help the Chesapeake Bay! The easiest way is to shrink your lawn.

That’s right, mow less. A healthy lawn protects soil, slows runoff, and traps

pollutants, but the basic upkeep takes energy, time and money. So, you might

want to rethink your landscaping. Butterfly gardens, wildflower meadows,

tree and shrub groupings, groundcovers or water gardens are only a few of

many alternatives to traditional grass lawns that are pleasing to look at, may

require less maintenance over time and prevent erosion and runoff. The

added bonus comes when your new easy landscaping attracts wildlife. 

The Maryland Cooperative Extension Service Home and Garden Information Center offers a fact sheet on Lawns and the Chesapeake Bay that guides

you with maintaining a healthy, low-impact lawn. While you have them on

the phone, ask for Help the Chesapeake Bay!, an extra-heavy information sheet

that is packed with lawn care tips, and suitable for bulletin boards or the refrigerator. They also have a series on Chesapeake Bay Preservation and the

Home Landscape. Mimeo #302, Landscapes that Help Chesapeake Bay has a

table of suitable ground covers. Publication #AM 70, also available from the

Home and Garden Information Center, explains how to establish and care for

a wildflower planting. The Virginia Gardener Guide to Water-Wise Landscaping

covers everything from designing a water-wise site, to plant selection and soil

management. It is available from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.

General lawn care guidelines can be found on the United States Department

of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service website. While you’re

there, check out Backyard Conservation for tips on ways to make your lawn

more attractive that are good for the environment. The U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office offers comprehensive information about beneficial landscaping on their website, including a

link to the Wild Ones Handbook. The handbook provides lots of technical

advice for creating natural areas, but be sure to consult local sources for plant

suggestions. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office,

publishes native plant lists for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

15

LESS TO MOW

Alternatives to the Traditional Lawn

2

CHAPTER

GO NATIVE!

Forget about location—the three most

important things about habitat restoration are Native, Native, Native! Planting

invasive or non-native species can

undo an entire project and disrupt the

surrounding habitat and ecosystem.

BE SURE to consult your local cooperative extensive service or U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field

Office, (410) 573-4593, for a list of

native plants species for your area 

and avoid “invasives” at all cost!
MAKING YOUR LAWN LOW MAINTENANCE AND LOW IMPACT 

If you decide to maintain some grass areas in your yard, make them low

maintenance for you and low impact for the environment. Here’s how . . .

Test Your Soil

A soil test to determine soil pH is recommended before you start planting

grass or other vegetation, and every 3 to 5 years thereafter. Maintaining

proper pH is very important in low- or no-maintenance conditions. The best

pH levels for healthy grass range from 6.0–6.5. Most frequently pH is too

low and soil needs an application of limestone. Contact your local Cooperative Extension Service (through the blue pages of the phone book or the U.S.

Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research Extension and Education Service website) to find out where you can get your soil tested. Soil

Management in Home Gardens and Landscapes, available from the Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension Service provides tips on testing and improving

your soil. The type and pH of your soil will determine which grasses and will

grow best in your yard. For a comprehensive look at soil science and nutrient

management, obtain a copy of Chesapeake Bay Region Nutrient Management

Training Manual from the Chesapeake Bay Program.

Choose the Proper Variety of Grass

The turfgrass species you choose should perform well with low amounts of

fertilizer. Many species of zoysiagrass, tall fescue, or fine fescue are adapted to

Chesapeake Bay watershed climate and rainfall. If you live in Maryland, use

varieties listed in Maryland Cooperative Extension Service Publication #AM

77 Turfgrass Cultivar Recommendations for Certified Sod and Professional Seed

Mixtures in Maryland. Virginia and Pennsylvania publications listed previously can help with varieties in these areas.

Establish a Healthy Stand

For best results, seed grasses between late August and late September. Avoid

seeding after mid-October or in Spring because weeds often become a problem if grass growth isn’t optimum. Check the turfgrass bag label for the seeding rate, often 4 to 6 pounds of seed per 1000 square feet, depending on

species. Broadleef weeds should be removed between May and early June following one fall seeding, either by hand pulling or by careful spot-treatment

with herbicides. Overseeding may be necessary to maintain a dense turf if

thinning occurs or if bare patches are left after weeds are removed.

Fertilize (If You Really Must)

By choosing the appropriate lawn grass, you will reduce the amount of fertilizer required to maintain your lawn. However, when you do fertilize, be sure

to read the label recommendations and calibrate your spreader correctly (see

box). Keep fertilizer off of paved surfaces and out of natural drainage areas.

You don’t want fertilizer running directly into local waterways. A starter fertilizer that contains nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) may be

applied at the time of seeding or shortly after seedlings emerge, if a soil test

indicates deficiencies. 

HIRED LAWNCARE 

Questions to ask when choosing a Pest

Control or Landscape Company

• Is the company licensed/certified to

apply pesticides?

• Are references available?

• Does the company test soil before

making decisions?

• Do they offer nontraditional landscaping, including the use of native

plants?

Reprinted from the Washington, D.C. IPM project 

16 LESS TO MOW

ANOTHER REASON TO 

MOW LESS . . . 

A lawnmower pollutes as much 

in one hour as driving an automobile 

for 350 miles!
ALTERNATIVES TO THE TRADITIONAL LAWN 17

Incorporate Fertilizer into Soil Prior to Seeding

This is critical for establishing a lawn that will prevent soil erosion and the

encroachment of weeds. Established lawns typically need some fertilizer applied yearly in September and October to maintain dense growth, enhance

pest and drought resistance, and encourage root growth. Don’t apply fertilizer

if rain is forecast in the next day or so. Avoid the temptation presented by the

stacks of fertilizer bags outside local garden centers in Spring. Fertilize ONE

TIME ONLY during Spring, and ONLY if your soil test or grass quality

indicates nutrient deficiencies. The general fertilizer recommendation for

most grasses is 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. The easiest way to follow

this recommendation is to apply 20 lbs of a 5-10-10 fertilizer on 1000 sq feet

of lawn. 

Not all homeowners choose to fertilize their lawns. But, if you choose to

fertilize, consult the recommended fertilizer application guide in Maryland

Cooperative Extension Service Fact Sheet #702 Lawns and the Chesapeake

Bay. You may also want to ask them for Take It from Maryland Farmers... Use

Fertilizer Wisely: Protect Chesapeake Bay. Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation publishes The Virginia Gardener Year Round Guide to Nutrient Management, with month-by-month highlights on soil maintenance

and fertilizing, and Tips on Keeping Your Lawn Green...and the Chesapeake Bay

Clean, a brochure on fertilizer application programs for specific grasses. Virginia’s Cooperative Extension Service offers a factsheet called Ecological Turf

Tips.... To Protect the Chesapeake Bay: Lawn Fertilizer in Virginia. Wisconsin’s

Cooperative Extension Service offers a general factsheet that is applicable to

most regions of the country called Lawn and Garden Fertilizers.

Mow Properly

Keep grass fairly long to retain grass density and shade out annual weeds.

Never mow lower than 2.5 inches in height and, preferably, 3.5 to 5 inches.

Zoysiagrass species, however, should be mowed to a height of 0.5 - 1 inch. A

rule of thumb is not to remove more than 1/3 of the grass height at any one

mowing. Never mow fine leaf grasses in summer during conditions of heat or

drought stress. 

“Grasscycle” 

After mowing, allow clippings to remain on the lawn. This practice helps recycle nutrients and will help maintain grass density on unfertilized lawns. The

use of mulching mowers, which cut clippings into smaller pieces, can be beneficial for nutrient cycling. Remove clippings only when the lawn has substantially overgrown suggested cutting heights and compost those clippings.

Never blow lawn clippings onto sidewalks, driveways, streets or storm drains.

Tend That Lawn

Aerate the lawn to reduce compaction and remove thatch as needed. Zoysia

and fine fescues tend to accumulate thatch over time. Overseeding of areas

that are bare or with low grass density may be necessary. Seed between August

15 and October 15, just as you would with first plantings. Watering isn’t

always necessary and may actually damage your grass if done incorrectly. It is

safe to let an established lawn go dormant during dry periods. Dormancy is a

WATCH THAT FERTILIZER! 

Make sure to calibrate your spreader

before you start applying fertilizer. How

much you need will depend on what

type of spreader you use, and the size

of your yard. Contact the Virginia

Cooperative Extension Service for Fact

Sheet Publication #430-017, Ecological

Turf Tips . . . to Protect the Chesapeake

Bay: Calibrating Your Lawn Spreader.
WASTE NOT!

Pet waste is a major contaminant in

many streams and rivers that can

impair water quality and carry disease.

Dispose of your pet’s waste by burying

it or flushing it, or placing it in the

garbage can.

BIRD FEEDING TIP!

Place shrubs near bird feeders for 

cover and perching.

survival mechanism and your lawn will usually recover when it finally rains.

However, proper irrigation can help minimize the encroachment of weeds by

increasing grass density. If you irrigate, follow guidelines in the Maryland Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center factsheets, Irrigation and Water, Conservation on Home Lawns, and Water Tips for Drought

Conditions. The Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service offers a practical

factsheet that is applicable to most regions of the country, including Chesapeake Bay, called Lawn Watering. Control weeds by hand or with spot treatments of herbicides. Information on crab grass control is available in

Maryland Cooperative Extension Service Publication #AM 85, Herbicides for

Crabgrass and Goosegrass Control in Turf. AM #79 provides information on

Broadleaf Weed Control in Established Lawns.

LANDSCAPING FOR WILDLIFE 

It’s hard for animals to live among people. Residential landscapes aren’t usually their habitat; wildlife need natural vegetation that supplies food and shelter. With careful plant selection and arrangement, even the smallest yard can

become a haven for wild creatures. Increasing the plant diversity will attract

the most types of animals, but careful plant selection will help attract specific

creatures.

Planting trees, shrubs, and perennial plants provides habitat for migrating

birds and monarch butterflies. It also provides homes for resident birds, amphibians and reptiles, butterflies, moths and other beneficial insects. You can

put up houses for bats, birds, squirrels and even insects. Urban dwellers, with

little or no yard, can help create wildlife-enticing community areas or parks.

Apartment dwellers might try container gardens on rooftops or balconies.

Birds and even butterflies also benefit from these tiny urban sanctuaries.

Plant the Essentials: Food, Water and Cover

Wildlife require the basics: food, water and cover. Birds eat seeds, buds and

fruit produced on trees, shrubs and grasses. Trees and shrubs shelter birds

from sun, inclement weather and predators. Nesting and singing birds especially need trees and shrubs. Most birds need a little water, which can easily

be supplied with a bird bath, but you can add frogs to your yard’s wildlife

community with the addition of a small pond.

Birds. Migratory bird populations have been declining over the last few

decades. Habitat loss, especially forest fragmentation, is to blame. You can

help by planting trees and shrubs. Larger forested areas are best, so think

about planting your trees near your neighbors’ trees or natural areas close to

your property. Better yet, work with your community association or neighborhood to create natural areas that span portions of several yards or fill community properties. 

When choosing plants, mix up the species. If you have a big yard or are

landscaping a community area or park, combine different species, sizes and

shapes in clusters. Group trees and shrubs to create sanctuaries throughout

the area; a smaller yard may support just one cluster. Choose plants that provide the greatest overlap of flowering and fruiting times, so there is fruit on

trees year-round. Berry bushes and fruit-bearing trees and shrubs will be appreciated by orioles, cardinals, mockingbirds, house and purple finches,

18 LESS TO MOW
ALTERNATIVES TO THE TRADITIONAL LAWN 19

BUTTERFLY GARDENING TIP!

Place tallest flowers so they block the

wind for light-weight flyers.

white-throated sparrows, and grosbeaks. Plant choices will depend on where

you live. 

Evergreens and shrubs provide the best cover and offer potential nesting

sites for birds. Evergreens, which don’t lose their needles, provide excellent

winter protection. Shrubs with thorns or prickles also heighten protection

from predators. Many birds, like blue birds and flickers, nest in cavities, so

consider saving older trees or stone walls that may have holes. Older, dying

and dead trees harbor insects essential for many birds. Maryland Department

of Natural Resources Wild Acres Program produces a factsheet on Snags (dead

standing trees) and Logs for Wildlife Food and Shelter.

Other elements essential for attracting birds to your backyard include

food and water. Many birds benefit from seeds and fruits placed at bird-feeding stations and nest boxes. The website at Wild Birds Forever provides a list

of foods preferred by various types of birds. Suggestions for providing the appropriate birdhouse or shelter are available, as are tips for identifying backyard

visitors. A bird bath or water tray gives birds a place to drink and bathe.

BayScapes, a homeowner’s guide to environmentally sound landscaping

for Chesapeake Bay produced by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, provides plant

suggestions and details on landscaping for wildlife. In Howard County, Maryland, you can visit sites in the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service’s BayWise Landscape Management Demonstration Site Program. For details, contact

the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service’s Master Gardener Program office in Howard County. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Wild Acres Program offers factsheets with advice on landscaping for wildlife

and how to attract specific birds. The Elizabeth River Project in Virginia established the Citizens for a Cleaner River Program to assist citizens interested

in enhancing habitats. For a fee, you can order the Project Habitat Enhancement Packet with tips on creating backhard habitat. The Pennsylvania Game

Commission invites schools and youth organizations to join their Wild Habitats Program, which offers technical and resource support to schools, nonprofit organizations and community groups who wish to improve wildlife

habitat on their grounds. The National Wildlife Federation also offers a

Schoolyard Habitats Program. (See Chapter Five, Beyond the Driveway for

more information on school programs). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Office of Migratory Bird Management offers pamphlets on backyard bird

feeding and nest boxes. The pamphlets are only available on the Internet, but

you can request a copy of For the Birds, a comprehensive brochure that covers

everything included in the birding pamphlets and more, from feeder selection

and placement to plants for wild birds.

Nectar-eaters: Butterflies and Hummingbirds. Over 700 species of butterflies are found in North America and most consume nectar from flowers.

Only one species of hummingbird, the ruby throat, lives in the Chesapeake

Bay watershed. In spring and fall, migrating hummingbirds and monarch

butterflies need flowers to fuel their long journey. Numerous bees and other

insects that help pollinate plants will also benefit from your butterfly garden.

If you plant night-blooming flowers, your garden will attract nighttime,

nectar-eating moths. 

The key to a hummingbird and butterfly garden is diversity. You need to

have flowers blooming throughout the growing season, even into mid-fall
when late-migrating hummingbirds pass through the watershed. Add a

shallow puddle, with rocks strategically placed, so drinking butterflies and

tiny hummingbirds can perch. An essential and often forgotten element of

every butterfly garden should be food for caterpillars. Caterpillars are a little

fussier about their food and many will only dine on specific plants. Plant

extra herbs, like parsley and fennel, and add native asters and milkweeds for

the caterpillars.

Adult butterflies and hummingbirds favor red flowers, but yellow, orange,

pink or purple blossoms will also do. Trumpet vine, morning glory, bee balm,

coral bells, red clover, zinnias and lavender all make excellent fare. Although it

is always best to use native plants, many ornamental species, like zinnias and

cosmos, are blooming when most perennials have died and are worth adding

to your butterfly garden.

The Backyard Habitat Program, run by Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, and

another program from National Wildlife Federation, called Backyard Wildlife

Habitat, can provide you with details, plant suggestions and garden plans for

starting a butterfly and hummingbird garden. BayScapes, Wild Acres and Wild

Habitat programs, mentioned above, also have butterfly gardening information. The Smithsonian Institution’s Butterfly Garden Website not only provides

tips on how to start your own garden, but also lists places to visit gardens in

action. For a nominal fee, the American Horticultural Society offers tons of

factsheets like Wildflower Meadow Gardening, Butterfly Gardening, Gardening

for Wildlife, and It’s for the Birds.

Bring on the Bats. Most of us think of bats as those horrid creatures that

live in attics and abandoned buildings. But bats can be good; a single bat may

eat 1⁄2 or more of its body weight in insects each night, especially those nasty

mosquitoes. Common bats seen in the Chesapeake Bay watershed include the

little brown bat, big brown bat, Eastern pipistrelle and red bat. All, except the

red bat, roost in colonies in buildings, tree hollows or caves. The red bat

prefers to roost under leaves or loose tree bark.

You can encourage bats to eat night-time insects by putting a bat box in

your yard. Exclude them from your house and prevent them from becoming a

nuisance by plugging any holes in your attic before you put up the box. The

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produces a beautiful color booklet entitled Bats

of the Eastern United States, that describes the various species and includes information on exclusion and attraction.

Good Bugs. With careful plant selection and arrangement, you can encourage the beneficial insects that are integral to your integrated pest management (IPM) program. Honey bees, lacewings, praying mantids and lady bugs

will utilize your plants as hunting grounds and surfaces for placing eggs. IPM

will reduce your need for pesticides that may harm other wildlife in your

yard. Plants that attract insects also attract the animals that eat insects, such as

birds, toads and bats. 

Fragrant herbs, like lavender and mint, often attract egg-laying praying

mantids. Lady bugs will use many plants for egg laying as long as you don’t

use pesticides on those plants. For landscaping techniques that enhance your

IPM program check out the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s and U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service’s BayScapes or You and Your Land: A Homeowner’s Guide

for the Potomac River Watershed produced by the Northern Virginia Soil and

Water Conservation District.

20 LESS TO MOW

THROW OUT THE BUG SPRAY

AND BRING IN THE BATS!

Did you know that bats can consume

500 insects in an hour, including MOSQUITOS? They are important for pollination, and bat numbers are decreasing

rapidly, due to loss of habitat. You can

attract bats to your garden with a bat

box and plants that attract the insects

they like to eat. A bat box must be built

to certain specifications for temperature, location, etc. You can get plans for

building a bat house from Maryland’s

Wild Acres packet, and Bat

Conservation International. Good “Bat

Garden” plants attract insects at night,

and include: salvia, silene, phlox, stock,

cornflower, spearmint, four o’clocks,

moonflowers, and nicotiana.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE TRADITIONAL LAWN 21

CAREFUL!

Creating a water garden may require

special insurance! Some ponds may 

be deemed an “attractive nuisance” to

curious neighborhood children!

Water Gardens

A small water garden attracts birds, frogs, dragonflies and salamanders.

Adding plants around your water garden increases the diversity and provides

food and protection for these animals, giving them cover as they approach the

water. Rocks placed near the edge of your garden or pond tempt small amphibians looking for a sunny spot. A gentle slope to the water gives local

wildlife an easy way to access the pond. If you choose to add fish to your

water garden, submerged plants will supply food and keep the water oxygenated. “Floaters” or plants with broad, floating leaves, help regulate pond

temperature and limit the growth of algae because the leaves provide shade. 

Check your local library for The Natural Water Garden: Pools, Ponds,

Marshes and Bogs for Backyards Everywhere, a book in the Brooklyn Botanic

Garden 21st Century Gardening Series, which gives a complete how-to for developing a natural pond. If you live in Pennsylvania, Aquascapes Unlimited,

Inc. can supply native wetland plants for your garden. Located in St. Michaels,

Maryland, Environmental Concern, Inc. also has a wetland plant nursery.

They can help you choose what plants will work best with your water garden

plans. The Maryland Cooperative Extension Service Home and Garden Information Center offers publications on aquatic gardening, including Publication

HG 17, Aquatic Gardening: Construction and Maintenance, and HG 17a, Basics

of Planting Aquatic Plants. The Virginia Cooperative Extension Service also offers water gardening factsheets, including: Cleaning a Water Garden and Preparing for Winter; Controlling Algae in Your Water Garden; Natural, Wild Water

Plants of Virginia; Planning and Installing a Water Garden; and Planting a Water

Garden.

On the Roof

Many species of plants will grow in containers, making small-scale urban

landscaping portable and flexible. An advantage urban gardeners have over

others is that cities create heat islands which extend the gardening season.

Window boxes, wall containers, and various sizes of pots can be filled with

herbs, flowers, and vegetables, even small fruits. Your wildlife will be limited

to creatures that live in the city or are passing through, so look for insects,

dragonflies, monarch butterflies, and an assortment of birds. You may even

get hummingbirds now and then.

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s and U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service’s BayScapes produces a fact sheet for creating landscape diversity,

which can get you started with your urban garden. Of course, rooftop

gardening requires special considerations relating to access and roof structure.

Check out the Rooftop Gardens article on the City Farmer’s Urban Agriculture

Notes website. This site gives a good overview of the why and how of gardening on the roof, and provides ordering information for a Rooftop Gardening

factsheet series. 

Living Fences: Hedgerows

Hedgerows are living fences comprised of small trees, shrubs and ground

cover. These living fences used to divide farm fields, but in the last few

decades, miles of natural hedgerows have been removed. It’s a shame. They

diversified landscapes, provided wind breaks, helped prevent the erosion, and
sheltered wildlife. Hedgerows also have a place in residential landscaping.

Carefully maintained hedgerows will add diversity to the plant and animal life

in your yard, and give you and your family privacy. 

To create a hedgerow, start with a variety of small trees, tall and short

shrubs, and ground covers. Include some fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, with

overlapping fruiting times. You can enhance wildlife value by choosing native

plants with prickles or thorns for added cover. Evergreens will enhance winter

cover. If you have a natural area that needs to be tamed into a hedgerow, get a

copy of Habitat Management Guidelines for the Benefit of Land Birds in Maryland, with guidelines on what plants to selectively eliminate and which to

keep, from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Critical Areas

Commission. 

Hedgerows require maintenance. You’ll need to prune trees and shrubs to

keep them attractive and at a manageable size. Many fruiting varieties also require pruning for best fruit production. Don’t forget to add ground covers

underneath the trees and shrubs. You don’t want to be mowing around these

low-growing obstacles. 

If your community has natural areas, or you own a large lot and live in

the type of neighborhood that might tolerate a brush pile, consider creating

one with the branches removed from your shrubs and trees. Brush piles shelter wildlife from predators, especially during the winter when trees don’t have

leaves. Throw your discarded Christmas tree on the pile, and place it along

your hedgerow, a forest edge, in the corner of the field, or near a stream or

pond. Keep brush piles away from your home, because they may attract creatures you don’t want near the house, such as woodchucks, skunks and snakes.

If you have a large piece of property, create several piles —three or four brush

piles per acre, placed 200–300 feet apart. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wild Acres Program has

factsheets on planting shrubs for wildlife and creating brush piles. The Alliance

for the Chesapeake Bay and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s BayScapes can

provide general guidelines on shrubs for wildlife. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has produced a useful document, We All

Live Downstream: A Homeowner’s Guide, Improve Your Property—Improve the

Environment, that offers suggestions for Pennsylvania residents interested in attracting wildlife. Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage has much experience with creating both agricultural and residential hedgerows and can provide guidance.

Although they are outside the Chesapeake Bay region, the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission created a useful document called Natural Landscaping for Public Officials that provides tips on being a good neighbor when

creating some of these natural landscapes.

Unwanted Visitors

Along with the pleasures of adding wildlife to your yard, there are some hazards. Rabbits, squirrels, snakes and deer may be attracted to your new habitat.

Many people enjoy these additions to their yards, but others may not appreciate bunny dens in the garden, squirrels raiding the bird feeders, or deer consuming expensive shrubs. 

Tolerance and understanding are one strategy for dealing with this situation. For instance, snakes can be good additions to your yard. Many eat small

rodents, like moles and voles, whose tunnels can destroy shrubs and flower

22 LESS TO MOW

CHECK LOCAL LAWS!

County nuisance laws may forbid

unmowed grass or unmaintained natural

hedges. However, most communities

will allow planted or restored natural

areas. Contact your local government

for local laws and regulations.

KEEP NEIGHBORS HAPPY!

Set back natural areas several feet 

from the edge and maintain them for

aesthetic as well as wildlife benefits.

Hedgerows should be planted at least 

6 feet from your property line.
beds. Snakes and rodents often consume insects living in your yard. You can

adapt your yard to accommodate some of these unwanted visitors. Plant extra

beans in the garden for the rabbits or place inexpensive shrubs along the edge

for deer to browse. 

Some people fear that a more natural landscape will attract rats or allow

mosquitoes to breed. Rats rarely live in natural landscapes; they are usually associated with human-constructed structures and their trash. So, your more

natural areas will tend to exclude rats. Mosquitoes may breed in your water

garden, if you create one. However, frogs and fish in the pond will probably

eat the larvae before they can mature and fly from the pond. In addition, natural landscapes tend to absorb more water than a conventional lawn or landscaping. This will reduce the amount of standing water, preventing

mosquitoes from breeding in the first place.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wild Acres Program

offers a factsheet on dealing with squirrels. You can accommodate them by

building a squirrel nest box and feeding squirrels far away from bird feeders.

You can exclude them via a number of techniques including spreading blood

meal or dried red peppers in your garden and placing metal collars at the base

of bird feeders. There are some disadvantages to attracting birds to your yard.

Woodpeckers may drum on your house, causing structural damage and making an awful lot of noise. Fish-eating birds, like herons and egrets, may raid

your water garden eating the goldfish you carefully placed there. Nesting birds

may choose sites on your home or other buildings, making a mess in the

process. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers a brochure describing how

to handle backyard bird problems. 

Deer can be a significant problem, especially in residential neighborhoods

surrounded by forests or fields where development is occurring. Maryland’s

Department of Natural Resources recommends deer IPM. This involves

population management on the part of wildlife agencies, fencing to exclude

deer, repellents to discourage deer, and vegetation management in your yard.

Landowners should consider plant species not favored by deer. A booklet

called Resistance of Woody Ornamentals to Deer Damage is available from 

the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. A webpage created by 

Jeff Chorba Landscape Design in Pennsylvania provides plant suggestions 

and landscaping techniques that will discourage deer from munching on 

your yard.

ALTERNATIVES TO THE TRADITIONAL LAWN 23

FIGHTING MOSQUITOS 

WITH BASIL?!

Companion planting is a method of

using specific plants to attract or repel

certain insects. Problems with aphids?

Plant garlic, an aphid repellent, nearby.

Or plant some Alfalfa to attract ladybugs. Aphids are one of their favorite

snacks! While this may take some

experimenting, it’s an interesting and

chemical-free way to keep pesky pests

away from your plants. Rodale Press’

Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs contains some companion plant charts. 

Or check out the Winnipeg Bugline

website for a list of planting tips.

Take a look around your property. Does it have special features or

unique habitats like streams, wooded areas or wetlands? Habitat

loss is the primary cause of plant and animal species extinction, and

areas like these are critical as sources of food, water and cover for wildlife.

Special habitats may provide recreational and aesthetic values—a relaxing

walk through the woods on a summer day or the peaceful quiet of observing

wildlife in your yard. Forested areas, riparian buffers and wetlands provide

valuable ecological services such as filtering runoff, flood buffering and sediment and erosion control. Enhancing your wetlands or woodlands or stabilizing your streambanks can help to improve local water quality by limiting the

amount of sediment, nutrients and pollution entering nearby waterways.

Wetlands provide year-round habitat for various wading, marsh and songbirds. Shellfish and finfish use wetlands as spawning grounds and nurseries.

Wooded areas can support many species. Each layer of a forested ecosystem—

from the grasses, ferns and flowers that make up the ground cover, to the

understory and the leafy canopy—fills different ecological requirements for a

diversity of animals. Forested areas act as greenways or wildlife corridors that

provide living space and protection for animals as they move from one area to

another. As development increases, these corridors are becoming more and

more important in offsetting the impacts of widespread forest fragmentation

on wildlife. Streams and forested riparian zones are critical habitats as well,

supporting many species of fish and amphibians, as well as terrestrial wildlife

that relies on the stream environment as a food and water supply.

These important landscapes are disappearing from the Chesapeake Bay

watershed. Watershed wetland losses averaged about 3,000 acres a year

between 1982 and 1989. Despite regulatory protection, wetland losses and

degradation continue. For more details, see the Chesapeake Bay Program

report titled Wetlands: The Vital Link Between the Watershed and the Bay.

Approximately one-third of historical forest coverage has been lost, sometimes

as quickly as 100 acres per day. In the last few decades, many streams have

become degraded, transporting large quantities of sediment and pollution.

Although water quality has improved with help from the National Clean

Water Act, rapid development threatens to overtake these improvements.

25

PROTECTING CRITICAL HABITATS

Wetlands, Forests, and Streams

3

CHAPTER

GO SEE . . .

Before you begin your project, visit a

natural area in a park or refuge near

you. Notice the variety of plant and

animal species and the way plants are

grouped together. Check the Internet,

maps, and your local phone directory

for parks, nature centers, and wildlife

management areas. If you live in or 

are visiting D.C., get a copy of DC

Naturally, available from the Rock

Creek Nature Center. This guide

includes an extensive list of parks 

and natural areas in the metropolitan

Washington area.
There are a lot of ways you can help protect and restore the Bay’s critical

habitats. Enhancing a wetland on your property with native wetland plants

will increase the type and number of wildlife visiting this area. Expanding or

enhancing wooded areas on your property provides habitat for animals and

decreases the amount of nutrients and pollution that may run into nearby

streams. Shrubs or trees along your streambank shade stream waters offering

cool, dark habitat for fish. The leaves that fall from your trees provide a food

for insects and bottom-dwelling creatures that fish like to eat. Runoff is perhaps one of the most serious problems affecting Chesapeake Bay. So, the steps

you take on your property to enhance habitat and improve water quality will

result in benefits both in your backyard and far downstream.

WETLANDS

Wetland areas are characterized by saturated or flooded soils. There are several

different types of wetlands, grouped by the vegetation found in the area. Emergent wetlands are dominated by herbaceous water-loving plants. Scrub/shrub

and forested wetlands, as their names imply, are dominated by higher layers of

woody vegetation. Tidal wetlands include wetlands where the water level is

influenced by oceanic tides. They may be salt, brackish or freshwater. Water

levels in nontidal wetlands are not influenced by tides, but are driven by wind,

surface water runoff, or groundwater discharge.

Wetlands are protected by federal and state laws because of the values

they provide, not only to local wildlife, but to humans as well. These areas

help protect water quality by filtering pollutants that would otherwise end up

in nearby streams. Wetlands act like natural sponges, protecting adjacent land

from flooding by trapping and storing water. They help to buffer shorelines

from erosion and are extremely important as fish and wildlife habitat. For

more information, call the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Wetlands

Hotline for a copy of America’s Wetlands: Our Vital Link Between Land and

Water. 

Wetlands provide so many benefits to society that steps are being taken to

restore this important resource throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In

1997, Maryland announced a goal of restoring 60,000 acres of wetlands

throughout the state. For information on what you can do to help Maryland

reach this goal, contact the Maryland Department of the Environment. Pennsylvania and Virginia are also working to develop goals for wetlands restoration. For information on Pennsylvania’s efforts to help restore wetlands,

contact the Pennsylvania Department of the Environment. In Virginia, contact the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for information on tidal

wetlands and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for efforts

relating to nontidal wetlands. The District of Columbia has developed the

Wetlands Conservation Plan to guide its wetlands protection, enhancement,

and restoration efforts. More information is available through the District of

Columbia Environmental Health Administration, Division of Water Quality.

Before you begin, it is important to identify which kind of wetland exists

on your property so you can plan the most appropriate type of restoration. Is

your wetland salty or freshwater? Does the water level in your wetland fluctuate with the tide? How deep is it? Is the area shaded or in full sun? Answering these questions will help you to choose plants that are best suited for

DON’T BE AN OUTLAW! 

Wetlands are regulated under Section

404 of the Clean Water Act. Before 

you plan changes to wetlands on your

property, check with appropriate federal

and state regulatory agencies to obtain

any necessary permits. Check the

Resources Section for agency listings,

and call the Chesapeake Bay Program

for a copy of Protecting Wetlands:

Technical and Financial Assistance

Programs for Local Governments in 

the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

26 PROTECTING CRITICAL HABITATS
WETLANDS, FORESTS, AND STREAMS 27

conditions on your property. Ask your local nursery about obtaining native

wetland plants. Avoid plants that are not specifically adapted to moist or wet

soils. They may not survive in a wet area and have far less value to wetland

wildlife. If you are planting to enhance wildlife values, mix native sedges to

provide food and cover, or add shrubs and trees for cover and protection.

Choose flowering plants with different blooming periods to add year-round

color to a wetland meadow. Using wetland plants may also be appropriate for

those wet areas on your property where nothing seems to grow. (See Chapter

Two, “Water, Water, Everywhere!”) A useful fact sheet on Gardening in Wet

Places is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 3

Office in Philadelphia.

Lists of wetland plants are available from Environmental Concern, Inc.

Environmental Concern also has a nursery where you can buy native Maryland wetland plants. If you live in Pennsylvania, check out Aquascapes Unlimited, Inc.’s nursery for native wetlands plants. Your state’s Native Plant

Society or Landscape and Nursery Association may also have information on

nurseries that specialize in wetland plants. You may wish to add nesting boxes

or platforms to supplement the natural areas. Instructions for building for

wildlife are included in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Wild Acres information packages, and the Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension

Service circular Providing Wetlands for Wildlife while Controlling Stormwater

contains an appendix with plans for building nest boxes and platforms.

FORESTED AREAS

Wooded habitats are an essential part of life for many of the watershed’s animal, bird and plant life. Extensive scientific findings show clearly that acre for

acre, forests are the best land use for protecting water quality. As living filters,

forests capture rainfall, regulate stormwater and streamflow, filter nutrients,

sediment and other pollutants, and stabilize soils. Maintaining or creating a

naturalized forested area can add value to your property and save a month’s

worth of Sundays in mowing. Trees can be planted strategically for privacy

and insulation, providing economic benefits when placed appropriately. For

instance, they can help shade you from the summer sun, increasing air conditioner efficiency as much as 10 percent. Evergreens and deciduous trees can

be planted to shield the house from winter winds to lower heating costs. To

learn more about how to plant trees on your property for energy conservation, contact the National Arbor Day Foundation for a copy of How Trees

Can Save Energy. Trees will also provide recreational and aesthetic values and

food and cover for wildlife. Choose several native species to plan for blooms

and fruit through the spring, summer and fall. Before planting, consider all

your objectives. Do your goals include habitat enhancement? Water quality

improvement? A source of firewood? Wooded areas can be easily managed

for multiple uses. The Pennsylvania Bay Education Office’s We All Live Downstream, contains a chapter on “Managing a Wooded Home Site” and includes

tips on how to get started. Information about forest management can be obtained from the Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension Service. Their Forest

Stewardship Series contains guidelines for planning and managing your forest

area, and includes a list of services offered to woodland owners by public and

private organizations in the state. You and Your Land, published by the
Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, includes technical

information on planting, pruning, and protecting trees and shrubs.

STREAMS AND RIPARIAN FOREST BUFFERS

There is something soothing about the gurgle of a meandering stream. But

perhaps your stream has lost its gurgle. Perhaps it is instead, a straight-as-anarrow stream that rushes through muddy banks without so much as a pause.

What was once valuable habitat for fish, amphibians and beneficial insects

may now be a watery highway for sediment, nutrients and other pollution—

an expressway to local rivers, and ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay. There are

50 major rivers that lead to the Bay and the health of each has an impact on

the health of the Chesapeake.

When many people think about water pollution, they envision smokestacks and factories. This perception of industry as the source of most 

water-related pollution is misleading. Runoff from agricultural lands and

communities is the major cause. Homeowners in the U.S. use more than 

100 million tons of fertilizer and 80 million pounds of pesticides on their

lawns each year. With every episode of rain or melting snow, excess nutrients

and toxic chemicals are washed into adjacent streams, imperiling the plants

and animals that live there. Sediment that is washed into a stream may clog

the gills of fish and limit the light available to underwater plants, making the

aquatic environment inhospitable.

As a property owner, there are two important actions you can take to

enhance local water quality. First and foremost, limit your use of fertilizers

and pesticides! Native plant species require fewer inputs as they are already

well-adapted to local conditions. Selective planting can deter certain insects

and help attract beneficial wildlife, like frogs and toads, that will snack on the

others and reduce the need for pesticides. (For more information on low-impact lawns, see Chapter Two, “Less to Mow”.) 

The second important action you can take to help restore your stream is

planting riparian forest buffers along stream banks. Riparian forest buffers 

are naturalized areas of trees, usually accompanied by shrubs and other vegetation, adjacent to a body of water. These areas are increasingly recognized as

an important way to protect stream health. Woody vegetation creates a “root

mat” that holds soils in place and limits erosion. Trees take up nutrients

through their roots, reducing the amount of nutrients entering waterways.

Overhanging streamside vegetation provides important habitat for frogs, toads

and salamanders and helps regulate stream temperature for fish. Visit the

Chesapeake Bay Program’s Riparian Forest Buffer website for more information

on the importance of riparian forest buffers.

The Chesapeake Bay Program Partners have agreed to a goal of restoring

2,010 acres of riparian forest buffers by the year 2010. Each jurisdiction has

developed a Riparian Forest Buffer Implementation Plan to help achieve this

goal. For information about the District of Columbia’s plan, contact the

District of Columbia Environmental Health Administration, Water Quality

Division. In Virginia, contact the Virginia Department of Forestry. As part of

their plans to reach the riparian forest buffer goal, Maryland and Pennsylvania

have joined up with American Forests’ Stream Releaf campaign. Contact the

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Forest Service for a copy of

28 PROTECTING CRITICAL HABITATS
WETLANDS, FORESTS, AND STREAMS 29

Maryland Stream Releaf. Copies of Pennsylvania Stream Releaf are available

from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of

Forestry. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program,

a voluntary program that offers incentive payments and cost-share assistance

for conservation practices on agricultural lands, includes an emphasis on riparian forest buffers. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, a nonprofit organization, is developing a permanent trust fund to provide resources for planting

riparian forests in Pennsylvania. The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Pennsylvania Streamside Forest Fund, which is still in the formative stages, seeks

private donations to provide small grants for conservation and community

groups to use for restoring forests along streams and rivers. Maryland’s

Chesapeake Bay Trust also offers financial assistance for some restoration

projects. 

Plants selected for riparian areas should be able to withstand periodic

flooding or inundation. For maximum wildlife value, create or enhance

ecosystem layers. Take a look at Chesapeake Riparian Handbook: A Guide for

Establishing and Maintaining Riparian Forest Buffers and Restoring a Bay Resource: Riparian Forest Buffer Demonstration Sites, available from the Chesapeake Bay Program. For information about approaches to stream corridor

restoration, you can download a copy of Stream Corridor Restoration, from the

U.S. Department of Agriculture website. Call your local Extension Service or

state Native Plant Society for a list of natives for your area. The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation offers a list of native plants specifically for use in riparian forest buffers in Virginia. (See “Where to Get Help”

at the end of this chapter for additional sources of assistance).

Besides planting riparian forest buffers along your streambank, you may

also want to enhance the in-stream habitat. DO NOT DO THIS ON YOUR

OWN! Careful placement of logs or rocks in the stream bed may slow water

velocity and create riffles that help oxygenate the water. This creates microhabitats, providing resting and hiding places for fish and for soon-to-be fish

food. Depending upon the condition of your stream, restoration may be a

technical process requiring consideration of such factors as soil type, bank

slope and flow velocity. Consult your state’s Natural Resources Conservation

Service or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office for

additional advice on how to enhance your stream. The Izaak Walton League

Save Our Streams Program offers books and videos on stream ecology and

restoration. Your local chapter of Trout Unlimited is another good place to

check for advice. Landowner’s Guide to Managing Streams in the Eastern

United States, publication #420-141, is available from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.

FISH PASSAGES: OPENING BARRIERS FOR MIGRATING FISH

Anadromous fish, including several species of shad and herring, must migrate

from saltwater environments to spawn in freshwater tributaries. Many streams

and rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are blocked by dams, culverts,

and other structures. More than 2,500 blockages in the watershed keep

anadromous and other migratory fish from reaching historic spawning

grounds. As a result, natural reproduction of American shad, in particular,

remains low.
Stream blockages, in conjunction with in-stream habitat degradation and

the pressure of over-fishing, have caused a serious decline in anadromous fish

populations. Although stocking programs and fishing regulations are helping

restore migratory fish populations, their numbers will continue to decline unless these fish can return to their natural spawning grounds. The Chesapeake

Bay Program is committed to opening blockages in the tributaries so anadromous fish can reach freshwater spawning grounds. Fish passage goals established in 1993 direct Bay Program signatories to open 731 stream miles by

1998 and over 1,356 miles by 2003. See the Chesapeake Bay Program annual

reports, Removing Impediments to Migratory Fishes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, for an update on progress. Encourage your local government to support fish passage restoration efforts and help anadromous fish buck the tide of

population decline! Call the Chesapeake Bay Program for additional information, or check out their webpage for lists and maps of fish passage projects

and viewing sites. An overview of Fish Restoration and Passage on the Susquehanna River is available from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission,

the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pennsylvania Field Office, or the Susquehanna River Basin Commission. The Alliance for Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay’s Chesapeake

Regional Information Service (CRIS) are other good sources of information.

For general information on sport fisheries restoration, the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service offers a brochure called Restoring America’s Sport Fisheries: The

Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program. Maps of public access areas to

the Bay are available from the Chesapeake Bay Program.

THE UNDESIRABLES . . .

Enhancing or restoring unique habitats on your property may bring some

guests who are less desirable than others. Snakes, rabbits and other animals

may be attracted to the new habitat you have created. Make an effort to understand their role and importance in the context of your backyard ecosystem. If you still have trouble tolerating these visitors, consider the resources

and natural control approaches mentioned in Chapter Two, “Less to Mow,”

or use physical barriers, such as fences, to restrict wildlife from certain areas. 

CITY LIFE

Many resources and programs available give special consideration to urban

restoration scenarios. The Center for Watershed Protection publishes a bulletin that features innovative watershed restoration and protection techniques;

Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection provides guidance on buffer establishment. The Chesapeake Bay Program offers a factsheet called Urban Riparian Forest Buffers that outlines the benefits of buffers and what they should

look like.

30 PROTECTING CRITICAL HABITATS
WETLANDS, FORESTS, AND STREAMS 31

BEFORE YOU PLANT!

Be sure to give some thought in advance to the scale of your efforts. Knowing

whether your project will consist of planting a few trees or shrubs or will require more complex landscaping is necessary to help you to identify the level

of technical knowledge you will need. Restoration training workshops offer

opportunities to learn more about the technical and ecological aspects of your

restoration/enhancement project. You may save yourself valuable time, money

and effort by talking with professionals who know the dos and don’ts of beneficial landscaping. Environmental Concern, Inc. hosts wetlands workshops

that cover such topics as Native Wetland Plants and Backyard Habitat Design. Stream restoration workshops are available through the Izaak Walton

League of America’s Save Our Streams Program. The Maryland Cooperative

Extension Service conducted two courses on riparian buffer systems in May

1997 that focused on ecology and structure of riparian forests and how to establish and maintain forested buffers. Similar courses are planned in Pennsylvania and Virginia. State agencies also offer occasional workshops on stream

and riparian restoration. The Virginia Department of Conservation and

Recreation offered several such training sessions in 1997. The Alliance for

Chesapeake Bay also offers Riparian Reforestation Field Days to train potential

recipients of grants from their Pennsylvania Streamside Forest Fund on the basics of riparian forest restoration.

WHERE TO GET HELP? 

You may also need to target potential sources of financial assistance. Fortunately, because of the importance of special habitats like wetlands, streams,

riparian zones and wooded areas, federal and state agencies and nonprofit

organizations have made technical and financial assistance available to

landowners interested in making landscape improvements on their property.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service

offers several programs geared toward wetlands protection. The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) provide

financial incentives to enhance wetlands to qualifying landowners in exchange

for taking certain agricultural lands out of production. The Wildlife Habitat

Incentives Program (WHIP) was designed to provide financial and technical

assistance to landowners wishing to undertake habitat improvements on their

property for upland and wetlands wildlife, endangered species and fisheries.

Programs like these are administered by state agencies within the Bay

watershed. Check with your state Department of Agriculture for more

information. 

Programs of the U.S. Forest Service provide technical and financial assistance in return for the protection and management of private forest lands and

associated wetlands. Such programs are administered by state forestry agencies, and include the Stewardship Incentive Program (SIP) and the Forestry

Incentives Program (FIP). Cost-shares may be available for enhancement projects such as riparian forest buffer planting, wetlands protection, and streambank stabilization. Contact the U.S. Forest Service for the details of these

programs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also houses several programs

relevant to wetland, woodland or riparian restoration and enhancement.

Programs include: BayScapes, Partners for Fish and Wildlife, Partners in Flight,

The North American Wetland Management Plan (NAWMP) and the North
American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA). The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service can provide resources

for creating and enhancing rivers, streams, greenways and other natural areas

in your community. Protecting Wetlands II: Financial and Technical Assistance

Programs for Local Governments in the Chesapeake Bay Region, published by the

Chesapeake Bay Program, provides additional information on federal, state

and nonprofit assistance programs for wetlands protection and enhancement.

Many of these programs are relevant to stream, riparian or woodland

enhancement efforts as well.

State programs are also available to help you protect and enhance critical

areas on your property. Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of

Columbia have wetlands programs that provide technical assistance and/or

cost-shares for wetlands management and protection. (Check Resources 

and Contacts for agency listings). The Maryland Department of Natural

Resources offers several incentive programs geared toward riparian and woodland enhancement, including the Maryland Buffer Incentives Program, Maryland Woodland Incentives Program, and Wild Acres. Their Greenways program is

designed to facilitate the creation, maintenance, or enhancement of wildlife

corridors. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Landowner

Stewardship Referral Service was established for individuals interested in

habitat restoration on their land. A Pennsylvania Greenways program is under

development, and will be administered by the Pennsylvania Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Adopt-a-Stream and Stream Fencing programs may be a

source of support for landowners interested in restoring streams on their

property. The Department also maintains a Wetlands Restoration/Creation Site

Registry to link landowners with potential restoration sites on their property

with individuals who are required to undertake restoration efforts as mitigation for regulated activities. In Virginia, financial assistance may be available

through the Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Grants Program and the

Virginia Department of Forestry website includes a list of available conservation incentive programs. Additional information on these and other programs

may be available from your state forestry agency. The University of Maryland

Environmental Finance Center offers a list of available funding mechanisms

for establishing riparian forest buffers. 

Publications that list voluntary options for stewardship may also be

available from your state environmental agency. Maryland’s Department of

Natural Resources offers the Private Landowner’s Assistance Guide: Voluntary

Options for Wetlands Stewardship in Maryland. Wetland and Riparian Stewardship in Pennsylvania: A Guide to Voluntary Options for Landowners, Local

Governments and Organizations is available from the Pennsylvania Department

of Environmental Protection.

In addition to federal and state programs, nonprofit organizations can be

a valuable source of financial and technical assistance. Ducks Unlimited is an

international nonprofit organization that works to protect, restore and enhance wetlands and associated upland areas. Trout Unlimited, The Nature

Conservancy, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Chesapeake Wildlife

Heritage, are other good sources of information on conservation and

restoration efforts. 

32 PROTECTING CRITICAL HABITATS
At long last, your dream home. The perfect retreat—the property slopes

right down to the Bay and offers you a beautiful waterfront view and a

place to dock your boat. As a waterfront property owner, you are the

first line of defense against shoreline erosion and water quality protection.

More than anyone, you should be aware that how you landscape your lawn

and manage your waterfront amenities will have an impact on the Chesapeake Bay. 

THE CULPRIT: SHORELINE EROSION

Erosion occurs when natural wind, wave and current forces wear away the

land by transporting sediment from one location to another. On high banks,

groundwater seepage may contribute to erosion and cause undercutting and

bank slumping. Although erosion is essentially caused by natural processes, 

its rate and severity can be intensified by heavy recreational use and development. Docks, jetties and other structures interrupt the natural movement of

water and redirect erosive forces in unexpected and possibly undesirable directions. Erosion control should begin with protection of the natural shoreline

defenses wherever possible. Beaches or marshes should be preserved as shallow

areas that reduce erosion by limiting wave action and force. The U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers offers lots of information about shoreline erosion on 

their website.

Loss of natural buffers are a huge problem along the edges of Chesapeake Bay. In their quest for a view of the water, many property owners

inadvertently destroy the Bay’s greatest protector—vegetation. The result is

increased shoreline erosion that can lead to the loss of valuable waterfront

property. Homeowners take note! The roots of trees, shrubs and grasses will

help stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. At the same time, they help limit

the amount of fertilizer running off those lawns and provide habitat for local

wildlife. Bulkheads and other hard structures may be costly and unnecessary.

Not only are these structural controls expensive, but they provide little habitat

for wildlife in the critical zone of the water’s edge. In some cases, these structures may actually block wildlife access to the water or cover important habitat areas. For instance, diamondback terrapins following their instincts to nest

33

WATERFRONT PROPERTY

Guarding the Edge

4

CHAPTER
at the water’s edge may lay eggs on the shelf of a bulkhead, only to find the

eggs washed away by the next high tide. Posing yet another threat to local

wildlife, these structures may be treated with preservatives that are toxic to

marine plants and animals. The construction of these structures can also be

harmful to aquatic plants and underwater Bay grasses by clouding the water

with increased sedimentation. Underwater Bay grasses, or submerged aquatic

vegetation (SAV), provide important habitat for many species, including the

crabs that have helped make Chesapeake Bay famous around the world. Underwater Bay grasses help enhance water quality by capturing sediments and

reducing wave action. (See more on underwater Bay grasses below).

You can help protect your property from erosion and maintain a waterfront view at the same time. In low energy areas with limited wave and wind

action, nonstructural methods of erosion controls may be sufficient. Carefully

placed natural areas can provide privacy, cooling and insulation, and attract

wildlife to your waterfront retreat without blocking your access to the Bay.

There are a range of options you can choose from, depending upon the specific characteristics of your property and your waterfront needs. Planting

marsh grasses may provide a low-cost solution to shoreline erosion, while

adding interest and beauty to your landscape. Even better, most planting

projects will not require a permit or the services of a engineer with a high

hourly rate! They provide important fish spawning and waterfowl habitat, 

and can actually help reverse the erosion process by trapping sediment. Consulting with local experts, like U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representatives,

will help you choose the best areas and proper plants for “marsh restoration.” 

Before You Bulk Up . . .

Always check with the appropriate federal and state authorities (see Resources

and Contacts) and consult a professional before beginning any shoreline stabilization or construction project. Permits are required prior to the construction of any work in, under, across or on the banks of navigable waters of the

United States. Contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for details on

permit requirements. Your local U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural

Resources Conservation Service office can provide valuable information on

sources of technical and financial assistance. Many factors must be considered

in evaluating an approach to erosion control. Prevailing winds, currents, tidal

ranges and boat traffic should be professionally assessed before you start to

move any soil. The Shore Erosion Program in the Maryland Department of

Natural Resources Forest Service offers a useful publication titled Shoreline

Erosion Control Guidelines for Waterfront Property Owners. This detailed book

will help you determine what type of erosion control will work best for your

property, the environment and your wallet! A similar brochure is available

from the Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service at the Virginia Department of

Conservation and Recreation. Another good source of information is Local

Ordinances: A User’s Guide. Available from the Terrene Institute, it includes

comprehensive chapters on “Stabilizing Shoreline Protection” and “Planning

Docks and Other Water Dependent Structures.” The Maryland Cooperative

Extension Service offers a brochure on Plants for Maryland Shore Landscapes.

Plants on this list are uniquely adapted to growing conditions at the shore, including high winds, blowing sand, and tide fluctuation. Contact the Alliance

for the Chesapeake Bay to inquire about salt marsh restoration workshops.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE

Talk to your waterfront neighbors about

shoreline stabilization. The more shoreline you protect, the safer everyone’s

property will be. Community projects

that span several properties are far

more effective than one. Bulkheads may

actually be reflecting wave energy and

increasing erosion of your shoreline!

34 WATERFRONT PROPERTY
GUARDING THE EDGE 35

PARKING THE YACHT: DOCKS, PIERS 

AND OTHER STRUCTURES

So what good is a house on the water without a place to dock your boat?

Think you need a dock or pier? Build with care. These structures, like bulkheads, impact shallow water areas adjacent to your property. Because light can

penetrate to the bottom of shallow water, these areas are highly productive,

and provide essential habitat for many aquatic plants and animals. The shade

of a dock or other structure can inhibit the growth of beneficial underwater

Bay grasses and shoreline vegetation. 

If possible, build your dock in an area that is already shaded, or try to

elevate it enough so sunlight can shine underneath (usually about five feet

above mean high water). Chemicals used to treat wood and other materials

may affect water quality in the nearshore area. Use caution when designing

and selecting materials for your dock, pier, or boardwalk—especially those

that will have direct and long-term contact with the water. Make sure your

contractor presents all your options. In areas with fluctuating water levels or

strong currents, a floating dock may be more practical. Again, however, check

the materials. Styrofoam, once used widely to provide buoyancy for floating

docks, is now discouraged. Not only does it tend to break up and disperse

easily in water, but visiting birds and other wildlife may mistake the pieces 

for food! 

Consider the long-term impacts of your project before construction

begins. Increased boat traffic, leaking oils or fuels, marine paints and antifouling treatments, and prop scour can decimate underwater grass beds and

harm local wildlife. A single spill may not seem like much, but imagine a

little drip or leak at every dock or pier in the Bay watershed! Like a snowflake that becomes part of an avalanche, the cumulative effect of thousands 

of small-scale environmental “uh-ohs” can be disastrous. Be careful to tread

lightly on the Bay and its rivers, and you will be rewarded by the beautiful

sights, sounds and smells of life near the water.

UNDERWATER BAY GRASS IN YOUR PROPELLER? GREAT!

Underwater Bay grasses, or SAV, grow in shallow water and are critical to the

Bay’s living resources. In addition to improving water quality, they provide

food for waterfowl and homes for fish, crabs and invertebrates. Growth is dependent on sufficient levels of light reaching the underwater leaves. Sediment

and algae can cloud the water, making it more difficult for light to penetrate

the water and reach underwater plants. Over-fertilizing your lawn can force

excess nutrients into local waterways, contributing to SAV decline. Changing

the vegetation or structures along your shoreline may also affect underwater

Bay grasses. The Chesapeake Bay Program’s Guidance for Protecting SAV in

Chesapeake Bay from Physical Disruption offers recommendations worth following if you are considering construction on the edge.

Chesapeake Bay Program Partners are working to restore underwater Bay

grasses to historical levels of acreage and we need your help. You can help by

avoiding beds when boating or when planning dredging or pier construction.

Environmentally friendly landscaping techniques that use less fertilizer, prevent erosion, and utilize native plants can help prevent sediments and nutrients from reaching Bay waters. Call for a copy of Underwater Bay Grasses are

A NOTE ON RESPONSIBLE BOATING

As a boat owner or passenger, you

know the importance of a healthy Bay.

You should also know the importance of

boating responsibly in order to keep it

that way! 

Make sure to:

1. Keep Sewage on Board—use marina

pump out facilities!

2. Stash the Trash— and dispose of it

properly on shore!

3. Fish Responsibly—don’t take more

than the limit, or more than you

need!

4. Maintain your engine and prevent

fuel spills!

5. Obey posted speed limits and watch

your wake! Speeding boats and personal watercraft can cause sedimentation that clouds shallow waters

and harms aquatic animals and

plants.

6. Tell your friends! No one wants to

see a polluted bay. Tell other boaters

what they can do to help keep the

Bay clean and enjoyable. 
Good for Wildlife and People, available from the Chesapeake Bay Program. The

Virginia Institute of Marine Science has tons of information on underwater

Bay grasses. Check out their web page for special reports, information on underwater Bay grass distribution, and links to other sites that relate to underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay. Maryland Department of Natural Resources

also has a Bay Grasses web page that’s loaded with information. Volunteers are

always needed to verify Bay grass coverage and species, monitor water quality

near grass beds, and help plant underwater Bay grasses. NEVER PLANT

THEM ON YOUR OWN! For tips on what homeowners can do to help

underwater Bay grasses, or if you’re interested in volunteering to monitor or

plant grasses, contact the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. The U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service and Chesapeake Bay Foundation co-sponsor an annual SAV

Hunt, an opportunity for citizens to help collect information about underwater grass beds around the Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has a Bay

Grasses in Classes program as part of their Chesapeake Bay curriculum package.

AQUATIC REEFS AND OYSTERS: NATURE’S WATER FILTERS

Aquatic reefs have an important ecological role in Chesapeake Bay. They

provide essential habitat for the Bay’s oysters, as well as finfish and crabs. Historically, reefs of densely packed individual oysters grew upward and outward,

creating hard surfaces over many acres of Bay bottom and three-dimensional

habitat for Bay creatures. Millions of oysters once filtered plankton from Bay

waters. Eastern oysters can attach to many hard surfaces, but grow best when

they live on oyster shell reefs. These reefs provide hard structure where barnacles, clams and other filter feeders also attach. Crabs and finfish take advantage of the three-dimensional oyster reefs, hiding among the shells and dining

on each other. 

Today, the Bay’s oyster population has been reduced to a small percentage of historic levels. Disease is by far the greatest natural threat to oysters.

Two diseases introduced to Chesapeake Bay over 40 years ago, MSX and

Dermo, kill many adult oysters before they are big enough to reproduce or

harvest. Destruction of aquatic reefs from centuries of dredging and tonging

has greatly reduced suitable habitat for oysters and the other creatures that

live on and around their reefs. In addition to harvest pressure and disease, 

reef acreage has been lost to silting and pollution. Scientists have begun reconstructing oyster reefs by placing oyster shell on the hard bottom where

oyster reefs used to exist. Constructed reefs get oysters off the bottom, where

they could be smothered by sediments. More than a dozen reefs have been

created in tidal Chesapeake Bay.

Despite their tolerance to changes in salinity, without enough salt in 

the water oysters may stop feeding, growing and reproducing. Freshwater

flooding that occurs over a few of weeks is particularly threatening to oysters.

It lowers water salinity and carries heavy loads of sediments, so restore and

maintain those riparian forest buffers and wetlands to help minimize flooding

and flows to the Bay! (See Chapter Three, “Protecting Critical Habitats,” for

more information on wetlands and buffers).

36 WATERFRONT PROPERTY

FIELD TRIP!

Have some free time? Visit the 

National Aquarium in Baltimore to 

see some Chesapeake Bay habitats 

in action!
You can help grow oysters for these reefs by participating in the

Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Oyster Gardening program. Oyster gardeners

build a float and receive “seed oysters” to grow until they are about two

inches in length. Then the oysters are off to a new home on a reef where 

they can get to the job of filtering the Bay and providing habitat for other

plants and animals! Call the Foundation for additional information. Projects

are also sponsored by the Maryland Oyster Recovery Partnership, a cooperative venture among watermen, environmentalists, the University of Maryland

Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, created to help recover Maryland’s oyster population. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is actively working to

restore oyster populations in Virginia. Additional information on these efforts

can be obtained from the Commission’s Conservation Replenishment Division, or from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Virginia’s Tidewater

Oyster Gardening Association sponsors gardening workshops and a master

oyster gardening class, and information on oyster gardening is included in the

Elizabeth River Project Habitat Enhancement Packet.

GUARDING THE EDGE 37

Whether you have acres of lawn or you live in an apartment or condominium with minimal green space, there’s still plenty that you can

do! Once you’ve conquered the concepts to a Better Backyard, take

them beyond your driveway into the local community. 

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTS

If you live in a development, there are probably opportunities everywhere.

Many developments have common areas of grass. These areas may be maintained by fertilizers and pesticides. Those little flags that say “Pesticides: Keep

Off” mark danger zones for children and pets. Find out what management’s

policy is on maintaining these common areas by attending a tenant association or homeowner’s meeting. Have they considered using integrated pest

management (IPM) or adopting a more natural approach to landscaping?

(See Before You Begin: Important Concepts for a description of IPM). Beneficial

alternatives to traditional lawn care may be a good way to reduce those maintenance fees!

Of course, all common areas may not be appropriate for naturalization.

Kids need large grassy areas to play. Work with the management and/or other

residents to choose a good location for natural areas or restoration activities.

Creating a butterfly garden around a gazebo, or a wildflower meadow or

wetland near a retention pond, are just two of many options. (See Chapter

Two, “Less to Mow” for additional information on creating these types of

landscapes). Enhancements like these will increase the aesthetic benefits for

residents and can provide educational and recreational opportunities for

neighborhood children. Common vegetable gardens that are subdivided into

plots for participating residents are another option. By creating a place where

neighbors work together, they can bring a stronger sense of community into

the area. 

If your development or community includes a golf course, the possibilities are almost endless! Despite their reputation as environmentally

disastrous, golf courses offer lots of open space to create new landscapes 

and habitats. Golf & the Environment: Environmental Principles for Golf

Courses in the United States is a handbook offered by the Center for Resource

39

BEYOND THE DRIVEWAY

Getting Involved in Community Efforts

5

CHAPTER

CAUTION!

Besides pesticides, be aware of other

harmful or toxic materials often 

used for maintenance purposes in

community complexes:

• Chemical de-icers

• Cleaning solutions 

• Paints and solvents

The Bay Book, available from the

Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and

Home*A*Syst, developed by

Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst, are good

sources of information on managing

these types of hazardous products.
Management with tips on designing environmentally friendly golf courses.

Golf and the Environment: What Partners! is a companion poster published by

the Terrene Institute and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region

5 Office, that illustrates these concepts.

SCHOOL GARDENS

Local schools are wonderful places to experiment with beneficial landscaping.

Many schools have lots of open space—a blank canvas ready for creative landscape development! Children will enjoy the sight of butterfly and wildflower

gardens, and can learn from the visitors these gardens will bring to their

school. Lessons can be structured around the maintenance of these areas—

math lessons on measuring plant growth and science lessons on water quality.

Outdoor learning can be a welcome change from long days in the classroom

and kids make perfect volunteers. 

There are numerous resources available for teachers or groups interested

in creating a schoolyard habitat. The Pennsylvania Game Commission offers 

a helpful brochure that lists Resources on Creating Backyard & Schoolyard

Habitat in Pennsylvania. Project WILD is a national program, with coordinators in every state, designed to emphasize wildlife education. Contact your

state Project Wild office for a copy of Wild School Sites: A Guide to Preparing

for Habitat Improvement Projects on School Grounds. The Pennsylvania WILD

Habitats program, established by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, supports and encourages habitat improvement projects for wildlife on school and

community grounds. APATH (Audubon Protecting Animals Through Habitat,

sponsored by the Audubon Council of Pennsylvania, offers Native Plants in

the Creation of Backyard, Schoolyard and Park Habitat Areas. The National

Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats Program complements its Backyard

Wildlife Program. Schoolyard Habitats, the Federation’s schoolyard planning

guide, offers tips on setting goals, involving the community and incorporating the habitat into cross-curriculum learning. The Evergreen Foundation,

dedicated to the enhancement of natural areas on school grounds and in communities in Canada, has a useful website with essential resources for community and school naturalization and environmental education projects. The site

also has a link to School Yard Environmental Projects: A Planning Primer. Prepared by North Carolina State University Forestry Extension, it contains lists

of resources and funding sources in the U.S. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office, offers a schoolyard habitat guide to

help teachers and students create wildlife habitats on school grounds.

COMMUNITY PARKS AND GARDENS

Is there a vacant lot in your community that’s in need of rejuvenation? Get

together with some friends and neighbors and spruce it up! Small pockets of

green can do wonders for community morale! Whether you live in a suburban area that needs a “community gathering place,” or in a city that needs a

little green in the streetscape, there are resources available to help you get

your community garden started. The American Community Gardening

Association provides information on everything from choosing a site to setting up bylaws for a gardening association. The Association’s From the Roots

NEED INSPIRATION?

Take a look at Logan Circle Urban

Meadow—a native wildflower and

butterfly sanctuary in Washington, D.C.,

or take a peek through the Garden 

Cam at Clinton Community Garden.

You’ll never believe it’s located in 

Hell’s Kitchen, NYC!

40 BEYOND THE DRIVEWAY
GETTING INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY EFFORTS 41

Up Program offers technical assistance and training to organizations interested

in helping neighborhood groups establish community and school gardens.

The National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program

provides assistance to communities for revitalizing natural areas. The Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension Service has an urban gardening program that

provides advice on organizing and starting a garden. Call their Vegetable and

Fruit Garden Hotline with questions. Their website includes a list of demonstration gardens where you can see examples of community work in action.

Although the Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension program is geared toward

Philadelphians, their resources will be useful for anyone interested in setting

up a community garden or park. Philadelphia Green is part of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society that works with neighborhood groups, corporations

and government organizations in the Philadelphia area. The Neighborhood

Gardens Association/A Philadelphia Land Trust, works with community gardeners to acquire garden land and prevent it from being developed for other

uses. Garden Resources of Washington (GROW) provides technical assistance

and advice to groups considering community gardening projects, and has lists

of great gardens to see in Washington, D.C.

Other good resources to check include Urban Agriculture Notes, published by City Farmer, Canada’s Office of Urban Agriculture, and Aggie

Horticulture, the Texas A&M University Horticulture Program website, 

which even includes a section on KinderGardens! Urban Harvest, a Texas

community gardening association, offers publications and brochures on

various topics such as funding opportunities for community gardens, and

how to increase community participation.

VOLUNTEER, VOLUNTEER! 

Citizen Monitoring Programs . . .

Be a scientist for a day . . . or more! Many programs in the Chesapeake Bay

watershed need your help with monitoring natural resources. Depending

upon your preference, you could get involved with water quality, underwater

Bay grasses, and living resources monitoring efforts! Check with the Alliance

for the Chesapeake Bay to find out what volunteer monitoring programs are

currently underway in the Bay watershed. The Pennsylvania Department of

Environmental Protection offers a Statewide Directory of Citizens’ Volunteer

Monitoring Programs, an overview of programs throughout Pennsylvania, as

well as Water Quality Monitoring of Pennsylvania Streams by Citizen’s Groups: 

A Primer in Quality Assurance and Quality Control.

. . . And Everything Else!

There are never too many volunteers for the Chesapeake Bay! Almost every

environmental organization needs volunteers or can direct you to an organization that does. You can help plant trees, pick up litter, pass out literature at

conferences or workshops, write articles for organization newsletters, talk to

school groups and lead tours. If you have the enthusiasm to lead an effort in

your community, get a copy of the Chesapeake Bay Community Action Guide

published by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. It’s a

step-by-step guide to improving the environment in your neighborhood! The

Global Action Plan for the Earth offers an EcoTeam Workbook to help you get

your community on the road to sustainability. The bottom line is that “where

there’s a will, there’s a way,” so get busy for the Bay!

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

If you’re the type that loves to learn,

check out nearby nature centers,

arboretums and botanical gardens.

They frequently sponsor educational

workshops, lectures, seminars and

other programs on a variety of topics.
Bioretention Areas Larger, often community-owned areas, created and planted to provide stormwater runoff control and retention of excess water during storm events.

Cover Crops A legume or nonlegume plant that is seeded in fall and grows during fall and winter to protect

soils and provide nutrients. Cover crops are plowed under or killed in spring before garden

planting.

Erosion The disruption and movement of soil particles by wind, water, or ice.

Hedgerows “Living fences” comprised of small trees, shrubs, and ground covers.

Impervious Surface Surfaces, such as pavement and buildings, that do not allow water to penetrate into the ground.

Land Use Planning Local zoning for particular land uses, such as wastewater treatment, transportation, open space,

and sensitive areas like wetlands and forest.

Native Plants* Plants that originally grew in a region before humans began introducing species for agriculture

and ornamental purposes.

Nutrients Nitrogen and phosphorous are the major nutrients causing problems in the Bay and rivers.

While nutrients are essential to all plant life, nutrient overload, caused by things like excess use

of fertilizer, sewage disposal, and driving, is harmful.

Rain Gardens Low-lying areas, away from houses, created and planted with vegetation to retain water during

storm events.

Riparian Forest Natural forested areas along waterbodies and wetlands.

Buffers*

Soil pH The acidity or alkalinity of the soil.

Stormwater Runoff Water that rushes off the land and other surfaces during rain events. Stormwater runoff often

carries sediments and pollutants with it. 

GLOSSARY

*More information about these terms is included in the Introduction section, Before You Begin: Important Concepts.

42
➤ National Park Service

www.ncre.nps.gov/rtca

Philadelphia Office

200 Chestnut Street, Third Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19106

(215) 597-7995

www.nps.gov/chal/rtca

Chesapeake Bay Office

410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109

Annapolis, MD 21403

(410) 267-5787

Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (T)

➤ Natural Resources Conservation Service

P.O. Box 2890

Washington, DC 20013

(202) 720-3210

www.nrcs.usda.gov/

Maryland State Office

John Hanson Business Center, Suite 301

339 Busch’s Frontage Road

Annapolis, MD 21401-5534

(410) 757-0861

Pennsylvania State Office

One Credit Union Place, Suite 340

Harrisburg, PA 17110-2993

(717) 237-2202

Virginia State Office

1606 Santa Rosa Road, Suite 209

Richmond, VA 23229-5014

(804) 287-1691

Backyard Conservation (Call 1-888-LANDCARE ) (I)

Conservation Reserve Program (T, $)

Wetlands Reserve Program (T, $)

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (T, $)

NRCS Earth Team Volunteer Opportunities Website (I)

www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/CCS/aboutEG.html

43

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS

KEY: T=Technical

I = Informational 

$ = Funding

NOTE: Programs and documents are listed after contact.

FEDERAL AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS
➤ Project Wild

5430 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 230

Bethesda, MD 20814-2142

(301) 493-5447

eelink.umich.edu/wild/

District of Columbia Coordinator

Environmental Regulation Administration

Fisheries Management Branch

2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20020

Maryland Coordinator

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Wildlife & Heritage Division

Tawes State Office Building

580 Taylor Avenue

Annapolis, MD 21401

(301) 478-2146

Pennsylvania Coordinator

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Division of Information & Education

2001 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110-9797

(717) 783-4872

Virginia Coordinator

Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries

4010 West Broad

P.O. Box 11104

Richmond, VA 23230

(804) 367-0188

Wild School Sites: A Guide to Preparing for Habitat

Improvement Projects on School Grounds (I, T, $)

➤ Smithsonian Institution

web3.si.edu/resource/tours/gardens/butterfly/

Butterfly Habitat Garden Website

➤ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

www.usace.army.mil/

Baltimore District

P.O. Box 1715

Baltimore, MD 21203

Shoreline Protection Information

(410) 962-4713

www. nab.usace.army.mil/

Wetland Regulations

(410) 962-3670

Norfolk District

803 Front Street

Norfolk, VA 23510

Shoreline Protection Information

(757) 441-77655

Wetland Regulations

(757) 441-7068

Philadelphia District

100 Penn Square East

2nd and Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107-3396

Wetland Regulations

(215) 656-6725

➤ U.S. Department of Agriculture

14th & Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250 

(202) 720-2791

www.usda.gov/

(See State Listings for Cooperative Extension Service Contacts)

Or find your local Cooperative Extension Service Office here:

Cooperative State Research Education and 

Extension Service Website

www.reeusda.gov/

Stream Corridor Restoration (T)

(available online at www.usda.gov/stream_restoration/)

44 RESOURCES AND CONTACTS
➤ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

401 M Street, SW

Washington, DC 20460

www.epa.gov/

(800) 832-7828

America’s Wetlands: Our Vital Link Between 

Land & Water (I)

Wetlands Information Hotline (I)

Chesapeake Bay Program Office

410 Severn Avenue, Suite 109

Annapolis, MD 21403

(800) YOUR BAY

www.chesapeakebay.net/

Beyond Sprawl: Land Management Techniques to 

Protect the Chesapeake Bay (T)

Boating Responsibly on the Bay and its Rivers (I)

Chesapeake Bay Map of Public Access Sites (I)

Chesapeake Bay Region Nutrient Management 

Training Manual (T)

Chesapeake Riparian Handbook: A Guide for Establishing

and Maintaining Riparian Forest Buffers (T)

Guidance for Protecting Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in

Chesapeake Bay from Physical Disruption (I)

Local Government Pollution Prevention Toolkit (I, T)

Protecting Wetlands I: Tools for Local Governments in the

Chesapeake Bay Region (T)

Protecting Wetlands II: Technical and Financial Assistance

Programs for Local Governments in the Chesapeake Bay

Region (T, $)

Removing Impediments to Migratory Fishes in the

Chesapeake Bay Watershed (I)

Restoring a Bay Resource: Riparian Forest Buffer

Demonstration Sites (I)

Riparian Forest Buffer Website

(www.chesapeakebay.net/bayprogram/facts/forests/

intro.htm) (I)

Underwater Bay Grasses are Good for Wildlife and People

(brochure) (I)

Urban Riparian Forest Buffers Fact Sheet (I)

Wetlands: The Vital Link Between the Watershed and the

Bay (I)

Local Government Advisory Committee

777 N. Capitol St., N.E.

Suite 500

Washington, D.C. 20002-4201

(202) 962-3589

www.icma.org

Region 3 Office

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Public Environmental Education Center

1650 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 814-5663

www.epa.gov/region3/

Gardener’s Guide to a Healthy Environment (T)

Gardening in Wet Places (T)

Plants for Wildlife: Native Trees & Shrubs of the Delaware

Valley with High Wildlife Value (T) 

Some Garden Resources for the Middle Atlantic States (T)

Region 5/Office/Air and Radiation Division

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

77 W Jackson Boulevard

Chicago, IL 60604

(312) 886-7901

www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/

Wild Ones Handbook (T)

Green Landscaping with Native Plants (T)

➤ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

1849 C Street, NW, Room 3012

Washington, D.C. 20240

(202) 208-4131

Publications: (304) 876-7203

www.fws.gov/

Bats of the Eastern United States (I) 

North American Wetland Conservation Act

North American Wetland Management Plan

Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program

Partners in Flight Program

Restoring America’s Sport Fisheries: 

The Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program (I)

Wetland Restoration Fact Sheet (I)

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS 45
➤ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (continued)

Chesapeake Bay Field Office

177 Admiral Cochrane Drive

Annapolis, MD 21401

(410) 573-4500

www.fws.gov/r5cbfo/

BayScapes Factsheets (I)

Field Guide to the Submerged Aquatic Vegetation of the

Chesapeake Bay (I)

A Guide to Conservation Landscaping for 

Federal Facilities (T)

Native Plant Guides (I)

Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat (T)

Nursery Lists (I)

Schoolyard Habitat Guide (IT)

BayScapes Program (T)

Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (T)

Schoolyard Habitat Program (T)

SAV Hunt (I)

Pennsylvania Field Office

315 South Allen Street, Suite 322

State College, PA 16801

(814) 234-4090 

Virginia Field Office

P.O. Box 99

6669 Short Lane

Gloucester, VA 23061

(804) 693-6694

Office of Migratory Bird Management

Room 634 Arlington Square

4401 North Fairfax Drive

Arlington, VA 22203

www.fws.gov/r9mbmo/homepg.html

Backyard Birding Pamphlets (I)

For the Birds (T)

➤ U.S. Forest Service

201 14th Street, SW 

P.O. Box 96090

Washington, DC 20090-6090

(202) 205-1760 

www.fs.fed.us/

Stewardship Incentive Program (T, $)

Forestry Incentive Program (T, $)

Northeast Area State and Private Forestry

11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200

Newtown Square, PA 19073

(610) 557-4111

46 RESOURCES AND CONTACTS
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

➤ District of Columbia Environmental 

Health Administration

51 N Street, NE

Washington, DC 20002

(202) 535-2500

www.environ.state.dc.us

Soil Quality Division

Stormwater Management Branch

(202) 535-1600

Stormwater Management Information (T, I)

Water Quality Division

(202) 535-2190

Riparian Forest Buffer Information

Wetlands Information

➤ Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

777 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20002-4226

(202) 962-3200

www.mwcog.org/

Clearing and Grading Strategies for Urban Watersheds (T)

Chesapeake Bay Community Action Guide (I,T)

MARYLAND

➤ Maryland Cooperative Extension Service

Publications Office

0109 Symons Hall

College park, MD 20742

(301) 405-4579

www.agnr.umd.edu/CES/

Broadleaf Weed Control in Established Lawns (T)

Herbicides for Crabgrass and Goosegrass Control in Turf (T)

Plants for Maryland Shore Landscapes, Fact Sheet #586 (T)

Take it From Maryland Farmers. . .Use Fertilizer Wisely:

Protect Chesapeake Bay (I)

Turfgrass Cultivar Recommendations for Certified Sod and

Professional Seed Mixtures in Maryland (T)

Home and Garden Information Center

12005 Homewood Road

Ellicott City, MD 21042

(800) 342-2507 (Maryland only)

www.agnr.umd.edu/users/hgic/

Aquatic Gardening: Construction and Maintenance (T)

Basics of Planting Aquatic Plants (T)

Conservation on Home Lawns (T)

Irrigation and Water (T)

Help the Chesapeake Bay! (I)

Landscapes that Help Chesapeake Bay (T)

Lawns and the Chesapeake Bay (T)

Water Tips for Drought Conditions (T)

Howard County Master Gardener Program Office

3525-L Ellicot Mills Drive

Ellicott City, MD 21043

(410) 313-2707

Bay-Wise Landscape Management 

Demonstration Site Program

➤ Maryland Department of Agriculture

Office of Resource Conservation

50 Harry S. Truman Parkway

Annapolis, MD 21401

(410) 841-5864

➤ Maryland Department of the Environment

Water Management Administration

2500 Broening Highway

Baltimore, MD 21224

(410) 631-3000 or (800) 633-6101

www.mde.state.md.us/

Wetland Regulations

Stormwater Management Information

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS 47

LOCAL AGENCIES AND PROGRAMS WITHIN THE WATERSHED
➤ Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Tawes State Office Building

580 Taylor Avenue

Annapolis, MD 21401

(410) 260-8367

www.dnr.state.md.us/

Resistance of Woody Ornamentals to Deer Damage (T)

Watershed Restoration Division

(800) 989-8852

Private Landowner’s Wetlands Assistance Guide: 

Voluntary Options for Wetlands Stewardship 

in Maryland (I, T, $)

Landowner Stewardship Referral Service (I, T, $)

Wildlife and Heritage Service

(410) 260-8555

Wild Acres Program (T, I)

Forest Service

(410) 260-8531

Greenways Program (I, T)

Maryland Buffer Incentives Program (I, T)

Maryland Stream ReLeaf (I, T, $)

Maryland Woodland Incentives Program (T, $)

Shore Erosion Control Guidelines for 

Waterfront Property Owners (I, T)

Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas Commission

45 Calvert Street, 2nd floor

Annapolis, MD 21401

(410) 260-7516

Habitat Management Guidelines for the Benefit 

of Land Birds in Maryland (T)

Maryland Partners in Flight (I)

➤ Maryland Office of Planning

301 West Preston Street, Room 1101

Baltimore, MD 21201

(410) 225-4500

www.wp.state.md.us/

Managing Maryland’s Growth: Smart Growth Options for

Maryland’s Tributary Strategies (I)

➤ University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center

0112 Skinner Hall

College Park, MD 20742

(301) 405-6383

www.mdsg.umd.edu/MDSG/EFC/index.html

Riparian Forest Buffer Funding Matrices ($)

PENNSYLVANIA

➤ Pennsylvania Bay Education Office

225 Pine Street

Harrisburg, PA 17101

(717) 236-1006

We All Live Downstream: A Homeowner’s Guide, Improve

Your Property— Improve the Environment (I,T)

(Online at www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/

enved/Can_Do/cover.htm)

➤ Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension Service

Publications Distribution Center

112 Agricultural Administration Building

University Park, PA 16802

(814) 865-6713

www.cas.psu.edu/docs/COEXT/COOPEXT.HTML

Providing Wetlands for Wildlife While Controlling

Stormwater, Circular #384 (T, I)

Publications Slide/Tape and Video Programs Catalog 

(Lots of good publications on Wildlife!) (I)

Soil Management in Home Gardens and Landscapes (T)

Forest Stewardship Series (T)

Urban Gardening Program I, T

4601 Market Street, 3rd floor

Philadelphia, PA 19139

(215) 471-2224

Vegetable and Fruit Garden Hotline (I, T)

(215) 471-2224 

➤ Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

2301 North Cameron Street

Harrisburg, PA 17110-9408

(717) 787-4737

www.pda.state.pa.us

➤ Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Bureau of Watershed Management

P.O. Box 8555

Rachel Carson State Office Building

Harrisburg, PA 17105

(717) 787-5267

www.dep.state.pa.us/

Adopt-A-Stream Program (I)

Greenways Program (I)

Local Solutions to Pennsylvania’s Pollution: Pennsylvania’s

Nonpoint Source Management Program (I)

Pennsylvania Stream ReLeaf (I, T)

48 RESOURCES AND CONTACTS
Statewide Directory of Citizen’s Volunteer Monitoring

Programs (I)

Stormwater Management Guidelines and 

Model Ordinances (I, T)

Streambank Fencing Program (I, T)

Streambank Stabilization Information (T)

We All Live Downstream: A Homeowner’s Guide, Improve

Your Property— Improve the Environment (T)

(Online at www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/

enved/Can_Do/cover.htm)

Wetland and Riparian Stewardship in Pennsylvania: 

A Guide to Voluntary Options for Landowners, 

Local Governments and Organizations (I, T)

Water Quality Monitoring of Pennsylvania Streams by

Citizen’s Groups: A Primer in Quality Assurance 

and Quality Control (T)

Wetlands Program

➤ Pennsylvania Department of Conservation 

and Natural Resources

Bureau of Forestry

P.O. Box 8552 

Harrisburg, PA 17105-8552

(717) 787-2106

www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/index.htm

Forest Stewardship Series (I, $)

Pennsylvania Stream ReLeaf (I, T)

➤ Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

Habitat Management Section

450 Robinson Lane

Bellefonte, PA 16823

(814) 359-5185

www.fish.state.pa.us

Adopt-A-Stream Program (I, T, $)

Fish Restoration and Passage on the Susquehanna River (I)

➤ Pennsylvania Game Commission

2001 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110

(717) 787-4250

www.pgc.state.pa.us/ 

Resources on Creating Backyard & Schoolyard 

Habitat in Pennsylvania (T, I, $)

Wild Habitats Program (T, $)

VIRGINIA

➤ Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation

District

12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 905

Fairfax, VA 22035-5512

(703) 324-1460

Developing Successful Runoff Control Programs 

for Urbanized Areas (T)

Citizens Water Quality Handbook (I)

You and Your Land: A Homeowner’s Guide 

for the Potomac River Watershed (T)

➤ Virginia Cooperative Extension Service

Virginia State University

P.O. Box 9081

Petersburg, VA 23806

(804) 524-5848

www.ext.vt.edu

Lawn and Garden Fertilizers (T)

Landowner’s Guide to Managing Streams 

in the Eastern United States (T)

Virginia Gardener’s Guide to Water-Wise Landscaping (T)

Water Gardening Fact Sheets (T)

➤ Virginia Department of Agriculture

P.O. Box 1163

Richmond, VA 23209

(804) 786-3501

➤ Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

203 Governor Street

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 786-1712

www.state.va.us/~dcr/

Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and 

Landscaping: Riparian Forest Buffers (T)

The Virginia Gardener Year Round Guide to Nutrient

Management (T)

Tips on Keeping Your Lawn Green and the 

Chesapeake Bay Clean (T)

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS 49
➤ Virginia Department of Conservation 

and Recreation (continued)

Division of Soil and Water Conservation

(804) 786-2064

The Best Urban BMP is Planning (I)

Stormwater Management Regulations, Virginia Erosion

and Sediment control Law, Regulations, and 

Certification Regulations (I, T)

Clean Water...A Community Commitment to Protecting

Virginia’s Watersheds (I)

Division of Natural Heritage

217 Governor Street, Third Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 786-7951

www.dcr.state.va.us/dnh/index.html

Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, 

and Landscaping (T)

Natural Resources Fact Sheets (I)

Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service (SEAS)

York Watershed Office

P.O. Box 1425

Tappahanock, VA 22560

(804) 443-6752

Albemarle, Chowan and Coastal Watersheds

1548-A Holland Road

Suffolk, VA 23434

(757) 925-2468

➤ Virginia Department of Forestry

P.O. Box 3758

900 Natural Resources Drive, Suite 800

Charlottesville, VA 22903

(804) 977-6555

www.dof.state.va.us

Riparian Buffer Implementation Plan

Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Grants

➤ Virginia Institute of Marine Science

P.O. Box 1346

Gloucester Point, VA 23062

(804) 684-7000

www.vims.edu/

➤ Virginia Marine Resources Commission

Habitat Management Division

2600 Washington Avenue

P.O. Box 756

Newport News, VA 23607-0756

(757) 247-2200

www.state.va.us/mrc/homepage.htm

Wetlands Guidelines (T, I)

Tidal Wetlands Program

Conservation Replenishment Division

(757) 247-2121

Aquatic Reefs and Oyster Gardening Information

50 RESOURCES AND CONTACTS
➤ Canada Office of Urban Agriculture

801-318 Homer Street

Vancouver, BC V6B 2V3

(604) 685-5832

www.cityfarmer.org/urbagnotes1.html#notes

Urban Agriculture Notes (I)

City Farmer

➤ Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission

P.O. Box 8024

Athens, GA 30603

(706) 542-3065

www.gaswcc.org

Guidelines for Streambank Restoration (T)

(Be sure to use native plants from your area!)

➤ North Carolina State University Forestry Extension

P.O. Box 8003

Raleigh, NC 27695-8003

(919) 515-5636

School Yard Environmental Projects: 

A Planning Primer (T, I)

➤ Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service

Cooperative Extension

152 Riley-Robb Hall

Ithaca, NY 14853-5701

(607) 255-7654

Enhancing Wildlife Habitats: 

A Practical Guide for Forest Landowners (I)

➤ Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst 

B142 Steenbock Library 

550 Babcock Drive 

Madison, WI 53706-1293

(608) 262-0024

(farm) www.uwex.edu/farmasyst/

(home) www.uwex.edu/homeasyst/

Home*A*Syst

➤ Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission

222 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 1800

Chicago, IL 60606

(312) 454-0400

www.nipc.cog.il.us/

Natural Landscaping for Public Officials (T)

➤ Texas A&M Horticulture Program (I, T)

Horticulture/Forest Science Building

College Station, TX 77843-2133

(979) 845-5341 

aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/

Aggie Horticulture Website

➤ Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Service

Cooperative Extension Publications

Room 170, 630 W. Mifflin Street

Madison, WI 53703

(608) 262-3346

www.uwex.edu/ces/

Cleaning up Stormwater Runoff (I)

Lawn and Garden Fertilizers (T)

Lawn Watering (T)

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS 51

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OUTSIDE THE WATERSHED
➤ Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

www.acb-online.org/

6600 York Road, Suite 100

Baltimore, MD 21212

(410) 377-6270

P.O. Box 1981

Richmond, VA 23218

(804) 775-0951

600 N. Second Street, Suite 300B

Harrisburg, PA 17101

(717) 236-8825

Chesapeake Regional Information Service (CRIS)

1-800-662-CRIS

Bayscapes (T)

Baybook: A Guide to Reducing Water Pollution at Home (T)

Bay Journal Newspaper (I)

Controlling Nonpoint Source Water Pollution: 

A Citizens Handbook (T)

Nonpoint Source Pollution Publications and Projects (I)

Pennsylvania Streamside Forest Fund ($)

➤ American Community Gardening Association

100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495

(215) 988-8785

communitygarden.org/

From the Roots Up Program (T, I)

➤ American Forests

P.O. Box 20000

Washington, DC 20013

910 17th Street, #600

Washington, DC 20006

(202) 667-3300

www.amfor.org

Stream Releaf (I, T)

➤ American Horticultural Society

7931 East Boulevard Drive

Alexandria, VA 22308 

(703) 768-5700

https://www.ahs.org

Tons of great factsheets for a nominal cost!

➤ Aquascapes Unlimited Inc.

P.O. Box 364

Pipersville, PA 18947

(215) 766-8151

➤ Pennsylvania Audubon Society

100 Wildwood Way

Harrisburg, PA 17110

(717) 213-6880

www.audubon.org/chapter/pa/pa/

Native Plants in the Creation of Backyard, Schoolyard and

Park Habitat Areas (I, T)

APATH (Audubon Protecting Animals Through Habitat) (I, T)

➤ Bat Conservation International

500 N. Capital of Texas Highway

Building 1

P.O. Box 162603

Austin, TX 78716

(512) 327-9721

www.batcon.org

➤ Biohabitats, Inc.

15 West Aylesbury Road

Timonium, MD 21093

(410) 337-3659

www.biohabitats.com

Design Manual for Use of Bioretention 

in Stormwater Management (T)

➤ Canada Office of Urban Agriculture

www.cityfarmer.org

Urban Agriculture Notes Website (I)

City Farmer

➤ Center for Chesapeake Communities (I)

209 West Street, Suite 201

Annapolis, MD 21401

(410) 267-8595

➤ Center for Resource Management

1104 East Ashton Avenue, #210

Salt Lake City, UT 84106

(801) 466-3600

F (801) 466-6800

Golf and the Environment: Environmental 

Principles for Golf Courses in the United States (T, I)

52 RESOURCES AND CONTACTS

NONPROFIT AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
➤ Center for Watershed Protection Inc.

8391 Main Street

Ellicott City, Maryland 21403

(410) 461-8323

www.cwp.org

Site Planning for Urban Stream Protection (T)

Erosion and Sediment Control (T)

The Economics of Urban BMPs in the Mid-Atlantic Region (I)

➤ Chesapeake Bay Foundation

www.cbf.org/

6 Herndon Avenue

Annapolis, MD 21403

(410) 268-8816

614 N. Front Street, Suite G

Harrisburg, PA 17101

(717) 234-5550

1108 East Main Street, Suite 1600

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 780-1392

A Better Way to Grow (I)

Grasses in Classes (T)

Oyster Gardening Program (T)

➤ Chesapeake Bay Trust ($)

60 West Street, Suite 200A

Annapolis, Maryland 21401

(410) 974-2941

www.chesapeakebaytrust.org

➤ Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage

P.O. Box 1745

Easton, MD 21601

(410) 822-5100

www.cheswildlife.org

Backyard Habitat Program (T, $)

➤ Ducks Unlimited

Mid-Atlantic Field Office

203 Romancoke Road, Suite 90

Stevensville, MD 21666

(410) 643-5300

www.ducks.org/

➤ The Elizabeth River Project

801 Boush Street, Suite 204

Norfolk, VA 23510

(757) 625-3648

www.elizabethriver.org

Habitat Enhancement Packet (T, I, $)

➤ Environmental Concern, Inc. (T, I)

P.O. Box P

St. Michaels, MD 21663

(410) 745-9620

www.wetland.org

➤ The Evergreen Foundation

355 Adelaide Street, Suite 500

Toronto, Ontario M5V 1S2 Canada

(416) 596-1495

www.evergreen.ca/home.html

Schoolyard Naturalization and Enhancement Information (I, T)

➤ Garden Resources of Washington (GROW) (T, I)

1419 V Street, NW

Washington, DC 20009

(202) 234-0591

➤ Global Action Plan for the Earth

Sustainable Lifestyle Campaign 

P.O. Box 428

Woodstock, NY 12498

(845) 679-4830

www.globalactionplan.org/

EcoTeam Workbook (I)

➤ Izaak Walton League of America 

707 Conservation Lane

Gaithersburg, MD 20878-2983

(800) BUG-IWLA

www.iwla.org

Save Our Streams Program (T, I )

Catalog of Books, Videos, Equipment and Workshops

➤ Jeff Chorba Landscape Design Website

home.ptd.net/~jchorba/

Designing for Deer Resistance (T)

➤ Landscape and Nursery Associations

Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association

P.O. Box 18989

Baltimore, MD 21206

(410) 882-5300

www.mdnurserymen.org

Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

383 Coal Hollow Road

Christiansburg, VA 24073-6721

(800) 476-0055 

www.vnla.org

Pennsylvania Landscape and Nursery Association

1707 S. Cameron Street

Harrisburg, PA 17104

(717) 238-1673

www.plna.com

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS 53
➤ Maryland Ornithological Society

Cylburn Mansion

4915 Greenspring Avenue

Baltimore, MD 21209

(410) 244-0032

➤ Maryland Oyster Recovery Partnership

P.O. Box 6775

Annapolis, MD 21403

(410) 269-5570

➤ National Aquarium in Baltimore

Pier 3/501 East Pratt Street

Baltimore, MD 21202-3194

(410) 576-3800 

www.aqua.org/

➤ National Institute for Urban Wildlife

10921 Trotting Ridge Way

Columbia, MD 21044

Urban Wetlands for Stormwater Control 

and Wildlife Enhancement (T)

➤ National Arbor Day Foundation

211 North 12th Street

Lincoln, NE 68508

(402) 474-5655 

www.arborday.org

How Trees Can Save Energy (I)

➤ National Wildlife Federation

11100 Wildlife Center Drive

Reston, VA 20190-5362

(703) 438-6000

www.nwf.org/

Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program (T)

Schoolyard Habitats Program (T)

➤ Native Plant Societies

Maryland Native Plant Society

P.O. Box 4877

Silver Spring, MD 20914

www.mdflora.org

List of Nurseries for Native Plants

Virginia Native Plant Society (T, I)

400 Blandy Farm Lane

Boyce, VA 22620

(540) 837-1758

www.vnps.org

List of Nurseries for Native Plants

➤ Natural Landscapers, Ltd.

P.O. Box 23576 

Milwaukee, WI 53223-0576 

www.epa.gov/glnpo/greenacres/wildones/

Wild Ones (T)

➤ The Nature Conservancy

4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100

Arlington, VA 22203

(703) 841-5300

www.nature.org

➤ Neighborhood Gardens Association/

A Philadelphia Land Trust (T, I)

325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800

Philadelphia, PA 19106

(215) 988-8797

➤ Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

100 North 20th Street, 5th floor

Philadelphia, PA 19103-1495

(215) 988-8800

www.libertynet.org/phs/

Philadelphia Green (T,I)

➤ Rock Creek Nature Center

5200 Glover Road, NW

Washington, DC 20015

(202) 426-6828

www.nps.gov/rocr/home.htm

DC Naturally: A Guide to Metropolitan Washington’s

Environmental Education Resources

➤ Susquehanna River Basin Commission

1721 North Front Street

Harrisburg, PA 17102-2391

(717) 238-0423

www.srbc.net/

➤ The Terrene Institute

4 Herbert Street

Alexandria, VA 22305

(703) 548-5473

www.terene.org

Urban Runoff and Stormwater Management Handbook(I, T)

A Watershed Approach to Urban Runoff: 

Handbook for Decisionmakers (I, T)

Local Ordinances: A User’s Guide (I)

Golf and the Environment: What Partners! (I, T)

➤ Tidewater Oyster Gardeners Association

8218 Hellneck Road

Gloucester, VA 23061

(804) 694-4407

www.oystergardener.org

54 RESOURCES AND CONTACTS
➤ Trout Unlimited

1500 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 310

Arlington, VA 22209-2404

(703) 522-0200

www.tu.org/

➤ Urban Harvest (I)

P.O. Box 980460

Houston, Texas 77098-0460 

(713) 880-5540

www.jumpnet.com/~arjun/UrbanHarvest/

➤ Wild Birds Forever (T)

27212 Highway 89

P.O. Box 4904

Blue Jay, California 92317-4909

(800) 459-2473

www.birdsforever.com

RESOURCES AND CONTACTS 55

PLANT LISTS

➤ Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

www.acb-online.org/

6600 York Road, Suite 100

Baltimore, MD 21212

(410) 377-6270

P.O. Box 1981

Richmond, VA 23218

(804) 775-0951

600 N. Second Street, Suite 30013

Harrisburg, PA 17101

(717) 236-8825

Bayscapes

➤ Aquascapes Unlimited, Inc. (T, I)

P.O. Box 364

Pipersville, PA 18947

(215) 766-8151

➤ Pennsylvania Audubon Society

100 Wildwood Way

Harrisburg, PA 17110

(717) 213-6880

www.audubon.org/chapter/pa/pa/

Native Plants in the Creation of Backyard, Schoolyard and

Park Habitat Areas (T, I)

APATH (Audubon Protecting Animals Through Habitat)

➤ The Elizabeth River Project

801 Boush Street, Suite 204

Norfolk, VA 23510

(757) 625-3648

www.elizabethriver.org

Habitat Enhancement Packet (T, I, $)

➤ Environmental Concern, Inc. (T, I)

P.O. Box P

St. Michaels, MD 21663

(410) 745-9620

www.wetland.org

➤ Jeff Chorba Landscape Design Website

home.ptd.net/~jchorba/

Designing for Deer Resistance T

➤ Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission

Natural Resources Division

14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive

Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

(301) 952-3650

www.clark.net/pub/mncppc/montgom/home.htm

Native Plants of Prince George’s County, Maryland

➤ Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

777 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20002-4226

(202) 962-3256

www.mwcog.org/

Chesapeake Bay Community Action Guide

➤ Native Plant Societies

Maryland Native Plant Society (I, T)

P.O. Box 4877

Silver Spring, MD 20914

www.mdflora.org

List of Nurseries for Native Plants

Virginia Native Plant Society (I, T)

400 Blandy Farm Lane

Boyce, VA 22620

(540) 837-1758

www.vnps.org

List of Nurseries for Native Plants
➤ District of Columbia Environmental Regulation

Administration

Water Resources Management Division

Fisheries Management Branch

2100 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, Suite 203

Washington, DC 20020

(202) 645-6068

www.p2.org/locgovt/district.htm

Aquatic Resources Education Center

➤ Fairfax ReLeaf

12055 Government Center Parkway

Suite 703

Fairfax, VA 22035

(703) 324-1409

www.geocities.com/RainForest/5663

➤ Federal Native Plant Conservation Committee (I, $)

1849 C Street, NW, Room 3223

Washington, D.C. 20240-000

(202) 219-8933

www.aqd.nps.gov/npci/

➤ Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Wildlife and Heritage Division

P.O. Box 68

Wye Mills, MD 21679

(410) 827-8612

1996 Maryland Habitat Partners Directory ($)

➤ Maryland Eastern Shore Resource Conservation 

and Development Council, Inc.

8133 Elliott Road, Suite 201

Easton, MD 21601

(410) 822-9300

➤ National Association of Conservation Districts Website

www.nacdnet.org/

(To find your local county soil conservation district office)

➤ Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

P.O. Box 8454

Harrisburg, PA 17105-8454

(717) 772-1828

www.dep.state.pa.us (School Zone/Stuff for Teachers)

Environmental Education Grants Program ($)

➤ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds

Assessment and Watershed Protection Division

401 M Street, SW

Washington, DC 20460

To order: (800) 490-9198

www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/wacademy/

Catalog of Federal Sources for Watershed Protection

National Environmental Publications 

Information System

(EPA publications database)

www.epa.gov/ncepihom/nepishom

56 RESOURCES AND CONTACTS

OTHER RESOURCES

➤ U.S. Department of Agriculture

Plants Database

tons of information about plants with photos!

plants.usda.gov/plants/

➤ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3

Public Environmental Education Center

1650 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

(215) 814-5663

www.epa.gov/region3/

Gardener’s Guide to a Healthy Environment (T, I)

Gardening in Wet Places

Plants for Wildlife: Native Trees & Shrubs 

of the Delaware Valley with High Wildlife Value

Some Garden Resources for the Middle Atlantic States

➤ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Chesapeake Bay Field Office

177 Admiral Cochrane Drive

Annapolis, MD 21401

(410) 573-4500

www.fws.gov/r5cbfo

➤ Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Division of Natural Heritage

217 Governor Street, Third Floor

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 786-7951

www.state.va.us/dnh

Native Plants for Conservation, Restoration, and Landscaping (T)

(5 brochures: Coastal Plain, Piedmont, 

Mountains, Riparian Forest Buffers, Grasslands)

Natural Resources Fact Sheets (I)